Board of directors

Rachele Selvig, President

As a lawyer, wife, mother, and prior childcare provider and educator, Rachele has spent more than her fair share of time in libraries. She describes libraries as the fundamental backbone of a community and admires that libraries are all-inclusive places where people of all ages, backgrounds, economic statuses, political beliefs, and education levels can unite.

Since she and her family moved to Grants Pass in 2011, she has admired the growing support for our local library system. She is proud to be part of a community that holds libraries and knowledge dear to its heart.

Laurel Samson, MBA

Laurel Samson was born and grew up in northern California with two brothers and a sister. She graduated from Sonoma State College (as it was known in 1972) with a bachelor’s degree in biology. She married her husband, Scott, in 1979. Laurel and Scott spent five months traveling from Luxembourg to India to Tanzania to home before beginning an MBA program at Northeastern University.

After graduating, Laurel and Scott moved to Grants Pass. She worked as the interim finance director for Rogue Community College and then for the City of Grants Pass, where she remained for 28 years, retiring in 2012. She served in several positions including community development director, assistant city manager, and finally, city manager.

Laurel has participated with a number of nonprofit or civic organizations. She served on the board of directors with Siskiyou Project, KS Wild, Rogue Gateway Rotary Club, and Josephine Community Libraries, Inc. She worked on projects with the Frog O’Fare (tie dye booth), ASPIRE (for high school students), and spent 23 years as a Sunday school teacher. She has three children and one granddaughter. She enjoys hiking, sewing, spending time with their children, and traveling. Laurel was elected to the Josephine Community Library District in 2017 and has served two terms as president and one as vice president. She is very honored to serve the community and gives her heart to this library.

Pat Fahey

Pat Fahey is a Grants Pass native and graduate of Grants Pass High School. Although he earned an accounting degree from Southern Oregon University, Pat refers to himself as a “garbage man by birth and by choice.” He’s the second generation in his family business, Southern Oregon Sanitation, a garbage company founded in 1948 and now serving more than 25,000 customers in Josephine, Jackson, and Douglas Counties. He retired in 2016, but retirement didn’t “take” for him, so later that year he purchased Sutherlin Sanitary Service, where he now works as general manager.

Pat has worked on behalf of his community for decades. He’s been a member of Grants Pass Rotary since 1987. He has served on the Grants Pass School Board finance committee, Three Rivers Community Hospital Foundation board, Josephine Community Libraries, Inc. board, and Josephine County budget committee. In nearly all of these, he has served in leadership positions. He currently sits on the boards of Southern Oregon Regional Economic Development, Inc. and Rogue Community College.

Gina Marie Agosta, Vice President

Gina Marie Agosta was born and raised in Grants Pass. She graduated from the University of Portland with bachelor’s degrees in English and Organizational Communication. After graduating, Gina Marie returned home and began her career in the nonprofit field, serving as the executive director of Coalition for Kids for 10 years. Since 2017, she has worked at Asante Three Rivers Medical Center as a patient experience coordinator.

Gina Marie has been a member of the Rogue Gateway Rotary Club since 2009 and has served as club president and assistant governor for the four Rotary clubs of Josephine County. Gina Marie grew up practically living at the Grants Pass branch of the library and is proud to serve on the library district board.

Brenda Aguilera

Brenda Aguilera has lived in Grants Pass for 28 years, raising her four children with her husband. Brenda has always had a passion for advocating and mentoring youth in Josephine County. She has worked for Grants Pass School District 7 in a variety of positions from educational assistant at different location to fulltime Spanish teacher at Grants Pass High School. She founded the MEChA Club at the high school 13 years ago — focusing on Latino student advocacy. Throughout the years, the club has evolved into a multicultural group where students of all races can come together and speak on issues of racism, advocacy, empowerment, and leadership. Currently, Brenda works for Project Youth+ where she has served for the past 10 years as a program manager helping students achieve their education goals. Today, Brenda is actively involved in the community as an advocate for both students and families of color.