The ALTA Board meets four or five times a year mainly via conference calls. At its Annual General Meeting, generally held in spring, the Board reports to the membership, adopts a budget, and considers resolutions. The Association President and regional Directors are elected at the following Board meeting.
The ALTA Board consists of:
- President, elected annually from the entire membership.
- Vice-President and Treasurer, elected at the first meeting after the AGM from among the Directors.
- One Director from each of the eight regions on the map below. Even and oddnumbered regions elect Directors in alternate years.
- One Director each from Edmonton and Calgary Public Library Boards, appointed annually.
Current Board
President - Barb Gilliat - 2025-2026
Barb Gilliat - President
Barb is the Deputy Mayor for the Village of Alix and is just starting her second year as Chair for Parkland Regional Library System. She has been part of the PRL Board since first elected in 2017. Barb has also been a part of the PRL Advocacy Committee since it’s inception.
Area 1 - Peace - Brad Pearson
Brad Pearson
Hello, my name is Brad Pearson, I am a family man and grandfather who cherishes all that life has to offer. Retirement from a successful career in the oil and gas sector has allowed me time to give back to my community on many boards and committee’s enriching the rural lifestyle, should you choose it. From camping, fishing, hunting, and all other activities nature can provide us with, I do wholeheartedly enjoy them all. A very important aspect of a healthy community with both populations, large and small, is your local library. Libraries with effective programming and environments from which all ages and ethnicities can learn and help us keep up with our ever-changing world, provide the vessel that transport knowledge to us all.
Alternate: Now open
Area 2 - Yellowhead Regional Library - Joan Becker
Joan Becker
I have lived in Devon, AB for 42 years, raising my family and enjoying my grandchildren as I also established a 35 year long career as a Library Technician in an elementary school. During my time volunteering on the Youth Justice Committee (3 years) and as a Public Library Trustee within my community (17 years), I have been privileged to serve my community. I look forward to assisting my fellow Trustee in representing YRL within ALTA.
Alternate: Open
Area 3 - Parkland - Barb Gilliat
Barb Gilliat
Barb is the Deputy Mayor for the Village of Alix and is just starting her second year as Chair for Parkland Regional Library System. She has been part of the PRL Board since first elected in 2017. Barb has also been a part of the PRL Advocacy Committee since it’s inception.
Alternate: Open
Area 4 - Marigold - Natasha Roberts
Natasha Roberts
Bio coming soon.
Alternate: Melody Christofferson
Melody Christofferson retired to Delia with her husband, Tom Hamilton, and two dogs (Tobie and Melo) in 2019. She retired from a career in Records and Information Management where she applied quality management principles and practices to improve identification and retrievability of life-of-product information. Melody is dedicated to life-long learning and believes that literacy is fundamental to improving one’s quality of life. As a child she organized and sorted the textbooks at the back of the grade one classroom. She could also be caught reading by the light of the full moon and still enjoys binging on a good story. Melody volunteers in different capacities for ALTA, the Delia Municipal Library Board, Marigold Library System, Delia in Bloom and the Delia and District Community Centre.
Area 5 - Chinook Arch - Open
Area 6 - Shortgrass - Open
Area 7 - Metro Edmonton - Open
Area 8 - Northern Lights - Barb Smith
Barb Smith
Libraries can change lives, I truly believe that. The library has always been a second home to me. Whether it was just to pick up a book, do some homework, hangout with friends or to just talk to someone when I didn’t have any one else, the library has always opened it’s doors and welcomed me. My background isn’t flashy. I went to school for business and minored in Human Resources. I’ve worked in finance and banking before stepping aside and taking on the best job… raising my awesome family. I’m constantly learning that I can always learn more and decided to try my hand at municipal politics. I’ve been a village councillor, elected for 2 terms and have dived in to as many boards/committees as I could since being elected . I have also been blessed with my local library board and library system appointments. I put my name forward to sit on the ALTA board because I know the challenges of sitting around a library board table and being overwhelmed with information, not knowing what to do and trying to not let anyone down. I want to help trustees to learn what their role is and help them get the most out of the experience!
Alternate: Open
Edmonton Public - Mark Hoosein
Mark Hoosein
Mark is in his second term as a trustee for the Edmonton Public Library. Mark is the CEO of the Alberta Construction Safety Association and has experience as a senior executive working for large, complex non-profits, innovating solutions in a regulated environment, and experience with governance, strategic execution, real estate, project management and government relations. Mark believes strongly in the need for public libraries, especially in their role to protect intellectual freedom.