President nominees
Patty DuvalI have been an educator for 30 years and 20 of them have been in school libraries. I
understand the joys and triumphs that school librarians experience every day and am so proud and honored to be a part of this profession. As the media supervisor in Alachua County Public Schools, I work every day to support media specialists, library programming and putting books in kids’ hands. As a member of FAME, I have grown as a professional and as a leader and hope to round out the end of my career being a part of this truly professional organization. |
Brandi GutchBrandi Gutch has dedicated twenty-eight years to Orange County Public Schools, with twenty of those years as a media specialist. An active member of the Orange County Association of Educational Media (OCAEM), Brandi has served as the recording secretary for two years and was the President of OCAEM in 2019 and 2022.
In addition to her work with OCAEM, Brandi is deeply involved with the Florida Association for Media in Education (FAME). She has previously served as the local arrangements co-chair for the FAME conference and as the recording secretary for the FAME Board. Currently, she is the region 3 board member for FAME. Brandi’s commitment extends beyond these roles. She volunteers for the Orange County Student Media Festival and the Jim Harbin Student Media Festival. Her dedication to excellence is evident as she has earned the Florida Power-Library School (FPLS) designation for Killarney Elementary and was honored as Teacher of the Year for the 2024-2025 school year at Killarney Elementary. Passionate about fostering a thriving, creative, and inventive library program, Brandi is dedicated to her students and faculty. She looks forward to continuing her advocacy for school libraries and spreading her love for books within the FAME organization. |
Secretary nominees
Deborah GrinerDeborah Griner is the Media Specialist at Benito Middle School in Hillsborough County. She has been a librarian in the district for 18 years. She served as Media Specialist at Greco Middle School for 15 years and has a Master's in Information Science from Florida State University. She has served as President, Vice President, and Awards Committee Chair for the Hillsborough Association of School Library
Media Specialists (HASLMS) and was elected to the nominations committee for the Florida Association for Media in Education (FAME) in 2022. In 2019-2020, she earned the Florida Power Library designation given by the Florida Department of Education and won the Halamandaris Award, a national recognition by the non–profit organization Heart of America. Deborah has presented at HillsboroughCounty media professional days and led trainings for librarians across the district. She also presented Beyond Genrefying: How I Integrated the Fiction and Non-Fiction Sections in My Library at the 2024 FAME Conference. |
Cindy BaronCindy has her bachelors from State University of New York-Oswego and a master’s degree from Boston College. Cindy is currently a district media specialist for Hernando County. Cindy Baron has served as the FAME membership committee chair. She is a past president of the Volusia County Associate of Media Educators and is an active member of FASM and FADIMA. As a board member and past president of VAME, she has served as a mentor to new media specialists within the district. She has worked in elementary, middle, and high school libraries, collaborating with teachers, hosting book clubs, author visits, book fairs, and has resurrected the district Battle of the Books competition through grant writing. Cindy is an active grant writer and has received over $75,000 for the media centers she has worked in.
Cindy Baron is called upon for training and presentations locally, and at the state level. |
Region 1 Nominees
Sara RatliffSara Ratliff has been an educator for twenty years as both an ELA teacher and a media specialist. She has been in the school library at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Currently, she’s the media specialist at West Pensacola Elementary in Pensacola. In the ten years she has been a FAME member, she has served on the FAME Board of Directors, Membership, Nominations, Legislation, Governing Documents, SSYRA 6-8, and Conference Committees. Her FAME Conference presentations include SSYRA committee sessions and a session about her grant work with StoryCorps in the Classroom. She holds a Master of Science in Information Science from Florida State University and has been a public librarian at West Florida Public Library for nine years
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Joanna TamplinJoanna Tamplin is a Tallahassee native in her 27th year with Leon County Schools. After graduating from Florida State University with an early childhood education degree, Joanna taught kindergarten for eleven years. She then went back to FSU for a Master’s in Information Studies as a part of the Project LEAD program. Joanna became the media specialist at Hawks Rise Elementary in 2009. Over the last 16 years, she has been an active member of FAME. She has served on various committees, such as SSYRA and SSYRA Junior, as well as the unofficial Late Night Library Games. Joanna has been on national book award committees through the American Library Association(Geisel 2013 and Schneider Family Book Award 2015-2018).
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Region 2 Nominees
Dani DrazanI am a media specialist at Horizon Academy at Marion Oaks in Marion County. I have worked as a media specialist in elementary, middle and high school media centers since 2009. During the elementary school years, I served as one librarian for two schools due to budget cuts for four years. I have a MA in English from NYU, and a BA in creative writing and communications from Antioch College. I have served two terms on the SSYRA Committee, one for combined 3-5 and 6-8, and most recently for the 2024-2025 6-8 SSYRA Committee. In addition, I spent 10 years in publishing at HarperCollins and another 10 years as the Director of Qualitative Research at Opinion Window in Prague, the Czech Republic. I am bilingual in Czech and English with a smattering of Japanese. My twins have flown the coop and I enjoy reading, walking the dog, and travelling (next stop Australia!)
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Constantina TutenConstandina Tutten is a dedicated professional with a deep passion for literacy and education. Based in St. Johns County, she has spent the past eight years enriching young minds as a media specialist at Cunningham Creek Elementary. A committed advocate for children's literature, she previously served as a member of the SSYRA Jr. committee, contributing to the selection of outstanding books for young readers. She also leads as the chair of the Ways and Means committee, ensuring impactful initiatives take shape.
Beyond her work in her own school, Constandina has actively served numerous local district committees, including the Classroom Library Review Team and the committee tasked with curating collections for the newest schools opening in the county. She is driven by a strong desire to be involved and serve, consistently seeking opportunities to support education and literacy initiatives. During the summers, she extends her dedication to literacy by working with the Jacksonville Public Library, bringing outreach programs to summer camps for underserved children. Through her leadership and unwavering commitment, she continues to foster a love for reading and learning, making a lasting impact on her community. |
Region 4 Nominees
Nikki SlinkardNikki Slinkard is a passionate Library Media Specialist at Mulberry High School, bringing over two decades of experience with Polk County Public Schools. She spent 14 years shaping young minds as an elementary teacher, earning the honor of Teacher of the Year, before transitioning into her role of Library Media Specialist-a path inspired by a media specialist early in her teaching career. This mentor encouraged her to pursue the field, setting her on a path to become a respected educator in the media community.
With four years as a middle school media specialist and now three years in high school, Nikki has continually aspired to make the media center a welcoming space where students want to be—not just where they have to be. Under her leadership, her school was recognized as a Florida Power Library School in 2024, a testament to her dedication to reading culture and student engagement. She serves on the FAME Awards Committee, taking pride in honoring those making an impact in library media education. Nikki appreciates collaboration with her colleagues and the collective strength they can have by working together and inspiring each other. She believes that a community of learning among colleagues is just as important as nurturing students. She looks forward to representing Florida Educational Media Specialists in District 4 and supporting media specialists statewide. Nikki brings a deep understanding of students’ evolving literacy needs. Her background allows her to support readers at every stage—from fostering early enthusiasm for books to guiding older students in refining critical thinking and comprehension skills. She advocates for student choice in reading, curating diverse collections that meet the developmental and interest-based needs of all learners. She remains at the forefront of best practices and trends, securing donations and funding to expand media resources and programming. Through dynamic shelving and themed décor that bring each genre to life, Nikki immerses students in their reading choices, making the library an exciting and interactive space that students want to be, ensuring that literacy remains a central and accessible part of every student’s academic journey. Her thoughtfully curated displays and programming throughout the year continue to draw students in. These programs include her “Panther Bistro Book Tasting Café,” “Blind Book Dates,” and “Throwback Thursdays-No Tech Allowed” activities. Recognized by administration for her involvement in various aspects of school life, Nikki also serves as the National Honor Society Advisor, Title I Coordinator, and Community Service Coordinator. Beyond her campus, she is respected by district leadership as an advocate for media programming and a trusted voice on broader educational initiatives. Her expertise and insight into larger issues help shape policies and best practices, ensuring that media centers continue to serve as dynamic hubs of learning. Beyond her professional achievements, she celebrates 25 years of marriage and cherishes her role as a mother to two college-aged daughters. |
Pamela SmithPamela R. Smith is a dedicated Library Media Specialist who has made a significant impact in the academic community through leadership and mentorship. Relationship and rapport are what she feels are the key elements in building respect and a successful program. With over a decade of experience, she has earned a reputation for her innovative ideas and unwavering commitment to excellence. In addition to her role as a Library Media Specialist, Pamela is actively involved in several organizations that promote literacy and education. She currently serves as a member of the FAME Intellectual Freedom Committee, FAME Diversity Committee, Instructional
Leadership Team, H.Y.P.E. Club Sponsor (Heritage Yields Pride & Excellence) and former Florida Teens Read Committee member. As a Library Media Specialist, Pamela is passionate about creating an environment that encourages academic exploration and growth. She has implemented several initiatives which have helped students develop a love for reading, literacy, leadership, and creativity. Her most successful initiative, Student Led Lunch & Learns, is what has given new life to her Library Media Center programming. Pamela has received numerous accolades for her work, including winning Riverview High School’s Teacher of the year (twice), Ida S. Baker Educator of the year(twice), and District Teacher of the year for Clayton County Public Schools in Georgia. In addition to her professional accomplishments, Pamela is also a devoted wife and mother of two children and a fur baby. She enjoys spending time with her family, van life, vlogging, reading, and crafting. |
Region 5 Nominees
Pete CadeDr. Pete Cade has been an Elementary School Media Specialist for the last 10 years. Prior to this role he has served as a K-6 classroom teacher, Reading Coach, Dean of Students and Principal. He earned both his Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and Masters Degree in Educational Leadership from Florida Gulf Coast University. In 2019, he completed his doctoral program in Teacher Leadership from Concordia University. Within the last year, Pete has published two books. His first publication Migrant Students Matter was written to serve as a guide for educators serving the unique migrant student population. His most recent book titled Miguel on the Move is geared towards intermediate grade students. The short chapter book chronicles the adventures of a migrant student during a summer migrant trip to Michigan. With a genuine admiration for books, Dr. Cade is a strong advocate for fostering a love of reading and literacy, inclusive library spaces and ensuring access to high-quality, diverse books for ALL students. During his free time, he enjoys reading fast-paced thrillers, listening to live music and watching Gator football.
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Hannah PohlHannah Pohl is a passionate librarian and educator who champions the cause of intellectual freedom. She arms her students with the knowledge and skills to navigate the ever-changing digital world and become leaders in and outside of school. She has been an involved member of FAME since 2021 when she started as a school librarian. She has also worked at a small municipal public library and still returns to work there in the summer. This has given her a unique perspective, seeing the many issues facing both the public library and the school library. She is currently Chair of the Florida Teens Read book award committee, after serving in the committee for three years. She is an active ALA member and in her second year on AASL’s School Library Event Promotion Committee. She received her MLIS from Rutgers and her BA from UF. She is a South Florida native who is committed to representing Region 5. In her spare time, she reviews books for School Library Journal, crafts, and enjoys hanging out with her two Sphynx cats.
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Board at Large Nominees
Shelly MenesesShelly Meneses is a full-time certified library media specialist. She began her School Library Media career after 4 years of teaching in the classroom. She was in the final year of her graduate program when she because the Media Specialist at a local middle school. She graduated from Nova Southeastern University in 2011 with her master's in educational media. In her 14 years as a library media specialist in both elementary and middle schools, she has maintained active status with FAME as a member and by serving on the SSYRA Committee, as a reader and then as a co-chair and currently on the FAME PD committee.
At Aurelia McKinney Cole Academy (PreK-8th), in addition to sharing her love of reading with students, she serves on the Leadership Team and is the school's technology contact and Yearbook Editor. Shelly strives every day to help students find a good fit book, teach students to be effective information users, and to encourage and prepare students to be life-long learners. Shelly loves to read and crochet; some of her favorite books are Island of the Blue Dolphins, Anne of Green Gables, and City Spies. |
Celene SessionsCelene Sessions is a wife, mom of four, grandmother of 3 and a 31-year Santa Rosa County, Florida, teacher. She holds a BA in English Education from the University of West Florida, and she has been a Media Specialist for four years. She recently completed her second year of serving on the Florida Teen Read Committee, and she has presented workshops at FAME the last two years. During her teaching career, she has taught English I, II, and III, electives including Outdoors, Leadership, Journalism and College and Career Readiness. She also taught in the CTE Department and has helped students earn Industry Certification in Entrepreneurship and Small Business, CIW, CompTIA IT Fundamentals and Ducks Unlimited Ecology and Conservation. She served as the Student Government Adviser for 19 years and the Yearbook Sponsor for 15 years.
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