Meet Maxine Mcnamara | President, Friends of the Ra,mona Library

We had the good fortune of connecting with Maxine Mcnamara and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Maxine, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The most important factor in Friends of the Ramona Library’s success is recognition and support of the Ramona Community. The Friends of the Ramona Library (FORL) is a nonprofit public benefit Corporation formed in 1985 to support the Ramona Community Library. We support the Ramona Community Library in encouraging literacy, lifelong learning, and the love of reading throughout our diverse community. We raise funds at our bookstore, the Open Book, by arranging special events, membership dues, and by grant writing. We contributed 1.2 million dollars towards equipping a new branch building. The FORL supplements the library budget by at least $30,000 per year to allow the library to purchase books and magazine subscriptions, and put on programs. Library programs are free to Ramona community residents because of the hard work of FORL volunteers and the community appreciates this support. We have been increasing our visibility recently by use of social media.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I graduated from UCLA in 1972 with an English major and did not have a career direction. A friend got me a job transcribing tapes for a project and from there I applied for an administrative assistant in the Graduate Division. In 1975, I transferred to UC Santa Cruz. After working for the University of California in various roles and departments as an administrative assistant, I retired early and decided to concentrate on nonprofit positions. I learned some hard leadership lessons as foreperson of the Santa Cruz County Grand Jury. For instance, I learned not ignore problems hoping that they’d go away. I had fun as president of the Santa Cruz County Genealogical Society and learned how to do precise research work. I also became comfortable talking to large groups of people without dying of fright. When we moved to Ramona, I had positions as President and Secretary of the Valley Club and the Ramona Woman’s Club. I was able to put my skills as a good bureaucrat to work to ensure that we had proper paperwork and rules to maintain nonprofit status. I became President of the Friends of the Library by chance three and a half years ago when the current president left town suddenly to care for her parents.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Ramona is becoming famous for its wineries and artists. We also are beginning to have some really good restaurants. The Pamo Valley Winery is a fun place to gather to hear good music and drink Ramona-brewed wine. The Marinade Cafe and Jeremy’s on the Hill serve a yummy farm-to-table menu. Jeremy’s lobster bisque is worth the trip. The Cheers Bar serves the best hamburgers in Ramona accompanied by live music. Two of our art galleries, the 2-Create Gallery and Linda Kelly’s gallery sell local art. This week the Ramona Chamber of Commerce is putting on the Ramona Wine and Art Festival. In the summer, we have the Ramona Rodeo and the Ramona Fair.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
This article should be dedicated to the Ramona Community and its support of the library and the Friends. We could fulfill our charter without its patronage of our used book store. The Ramona Food and Clothes Closet and the Ramona Community Foundation have generously given us grants to allow us to buy children’s educational computers and support the library’s Summer Learning Program.

Website: https://friendsoframonalibrary.org

Instagram: Friends of Ramona Library

Facebook: Friends of Ramona Library

Image Credits
Colleen Baker looking at donated books – Michelle Sund, Friends Volunteer
Ramona Valencia, Patsy Heald and Gloria Keesee — at our semi-annual book sale — Michelle Sund
Gloria Keesee with our weekly auction table — Michelle Sund
Patsy Heald and Flo Firth (our bookshop manager) — Michelle Sund
Patsy Heald and Ramona Valencia working on our Amazon bookstore — Michelle Sund
Maxine McNamara with Toby at home — Barney McNamara, husband