ABOUT DR. KATIE CLARK

During my six years on the ALD Board of Trustees, I’ve had the privilege of leading transformative change. Here are just a few of the projects I’ve taken on:

  • I was first elected in 2018, during a period of internal upheaval. Immediately upon being elected, I led an overhaul of our Board policies, ensuring that guardrails for good governance would be in place moving forward. Since then, I have also pushed for regular Board training, including Brown Act training, on a regular (annual) basis and a series of Board retreats to help ensure ongoing compliance. 

  • During my first term, I led a strategic planning process involving staff, trustees, volunteers, and community members to chart a path forward. That plan has served us well: we continue to use it today.

  • I served as Board President during COVID, working closely with the District Director to keep patrons and staff safe while avoiding layoffs or cuts. 

  • I have worked to ensure a sustainable future for the Altadena Library District, both in terms of our physical facilities and our funding structure. In the spring of 2020, I drove the effort to develop and pass a ballot measure that would replace the existing parcel tax when it sunsets in 2025, and provide funding for building projects and library services in perpetuity. Throughout the summer of 2020, amidst a global pandemic, alongside an incredible team of volunteers, we reached out tirelessly to the community about Measure Z, and in November 2020, it passed with 73% of the community vote.

  • I was part of the push to move to by-district instead of at-large elections, to encourage greater democratic participation and more equitable representation.

  • I have pushed for consistent and sustained outreach to residents of Altadena, prioritizing real engagement, listening, and responsiveness on all fronts.

  • Since 2021, as Chair of the Facilities Committee, I have been responsible for oversight of our building projects, in close contact with our team of staff, architects, managers, contractors, and expert consultants.

I feel a deep obligation to make sure that the promises of Measure Z deliver for Altadena, and I’d appreciate the chance to finish the job the right way.

A successful former academic and historian, Dr Clark left higher education in 2011 to open The Applied Humanities, a consulting agency serving nonprofits, artists, and activists. She is engaged in a number of public and civic service efforts both locally and internationally.

EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

  • Principal & Founder, The Applied Humanities (2013-Present)

  • Ahmanson Postdoctoral Fellow, California Institute of Technology (2009-2011)

  • DPhil, Oxford University, Corpus Christi College (2009)

  • Centenary Fellow, Royal Historical Society (2008-2009)

  • Teaching Fellow, Corpus Christi College, Oxford University (2007-2008)

  • M.St. in Historical Research, Oxford University, Faculty of Modern History (2006)

  • Marshall Scholar (2005)

  • Beinecke Scholar (2004)

  • B.A., Tulane University (2005)

PUBLIC SERVICE & COMMUNITY EFFORTS

  • Steering Committee Member, For The People: A Leftist Library Project (2023-Present)

  • Elected Trustee, Altadena Library District Board, independent special district (2018-Present)

  • President’s Award, California Library Association (2020 Recipient)

  • President, Altadena Library District Board of Trustees (2019-2021)

  • Campaign Chair, Yes on Z for Altadena Libraries (November 2020)

  • Chair, National Women’s Political Caucus-Greater Pasadena Area (2020-2022)

  • Alumni Advisor, Run For Something (2018-Present)

  • Los Angeles Regional Selection Committee, Marshall Scholarships (2015-2021) and Los Angeles Committee Chair (2016-2021)

  • Member, UK Ambassador’s Advisory Council (2016-2021)