July 12, 2024 – The Cedar Rapids Public Library Board of Trustees elected Monica Challenger as president and Jeremy Elges as vice president at the July 11 board meeting. The board also welcomed a new member, Ana McClain, along with reappointed members Chris Casey and Jade Hart.
The Board of Trustees is composed of volunteers who serve as the policy-making body for the Cedar Rapids Public Library and oversee library management. Trustees are appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council to terms of six years.
Outgoing president Clint Twedt-Ball was appointed to the board in 2016; his term expired at the end of June.
The new president, Monica Challenger, has served on the Board of Trustees since 2018 and has been the Chair of the Finance Committee.
Challenger has built a reputation for her steadfast commitment to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) advocacy and education. Following a 15-year hiatus to focus on raising her family, Challenger relaunched her engineering career in 2019 in the aerospace industry. During her engineering career break, Challenger immersed herself in her local community by serving on various nonprofit boards dedicated to literacy, STEM education, and the arts.
Challenger serves as Senator for the Society of Women Engineers; as a mentor for Harris-Stowe State University STEM Workforce Preparedness Institute; as an advisory committee member for Iowa’s Sixth Judicial District Department of Corrections, and the regional representative for Morehouse College Parents Council, the nation's only historically Black private liberal arts college for men.
"On January 15, 1897, the Cedar Rapids Public Library opened its doors to the public, marking the beginning of a legacy of providing access to knowledge and serving our community,” Challenger said. “I am proud to make history as the first Black president of the Cedar Rapids Public Library’s Board of Trustees. It is an honor to serve in this role as our library continues to show itself as a vital pillar in our community.”
Ana McClain moved to Cedar Rapids in 2012. She was born and raised in Yucatan, Mexico, and was introduced to Cedar Rapids by her husband, Quinton McClain. The couple founded Lion Bridge Brewing Company over 10 years ago in Czech Village.
Ana McClain is currently on the board of the Indian Creek Nature Center and has served as a board member on the local SSMID. She has also held board positions on The District: Czech Village & New Bohemia, and has volunteered as a Trees Forever Treekeeper, with the Czech Village Association, on the Pink Boots Society, Downtown Rotary, the City of Cedar Rapids Climate Action Committee, and many other community organizations.
Vice President Jeremy Elges was appointed to the board in 2021. He is a Senior Staff Attorney at Linn County Advocate.