Meet The Board

Portage District Library board members are elected to office as part of the Portage Public School District election process, and are seated for four-year terms. Our current Board members are listed below.
If you have any comments or questions and would like to direct them to our Board, please use this form to Share your comments.

Scott Pierangeli – Library Board Chair

Scott Pierangeli is an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Kalamazoo County who is an Assistant Cubmaster for Pack 288, a member of the Habitat for Humanity Board, a member of Kalamazoo Sunrise Rotary, and a former board member of Challenger Little League and Community Advocates for People with Developmental Disabilities.
Term Expires: June 30, 2011

Betty Lee Ongley — Library Board Vice Chair

Betty Lee Ongley is a retired Guidance Director and Counselor for the Portage Public School System who has been a leader in many different organizations at the city, county and state levels, and has had a long history of community service including: serving as the first female mayor in both Kalamazoo and Portage and the 1st Vice President of the Ladies Library Association. She is currently serving on the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy, as a board member for the Hospital Hospitality House, District Literacy Chair and Past Portage President and District Governor of Rotary International, as councilperson and member of the Officer Compensation Committee for the Portage City Council, as Chair of the Visiting Nurse Association’s Hospice Advisory Committee and member and Past National President of the Older Women’s League. Ongley was chosen as the recipient of Portage Rotary Club’s Community Service Award in 1996 and is the 2009 winner of the Kalamazoo Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Athena International Award.
Term Expires: June 30, 2011

Laurie DeHaven

Retired Festival Director
Sustainer in Junior League of Kalamazoo and active in Kalamazoo Garden Club
Community resident 36 years; 29 years in the Portage Library District
Elected Chairperson on July 25, 2005
Term Expires: June 30, 2011

Annee Dunn

A Portage resident for 18 years, Annee is a senior at WMU studying English, Practical Writing and Women’s Studies, and she hopes to earn a Masters Degree in Library Science. She is a member of the National Honor Society and Rotary Club and does a lot of volunteer work. Dunn says: “Growing up, I always sought refuge in the calming atmosphere of the Portage Public Library. It has continued to be a top-notch facility and I am humbled by the fact that my city trusts me with such an invaluable resource. My hope is to bring a fresh perspective to the board while working and learning alongside the veterans.”
Term Expires: June 30, 2013

Martha Pacheco — Liaison to the Friends of PDL

A Portage resident for 30 years, Martha is married with 4 children in their 20’s, and has degrees in Marketing and Spanish from WMU, as well as being a Certified Massage Therapist through the Kalamazoo Center for the Healing Arts. Pacheco says: “It is an honor to be on the board and I would appreciate hearing your opinions about all things library – to represent you to the best of my ability.”
Term Expires: June 30, 2013

Alicia Siebers

A Portage resident for 5 years, Alisha is married and is mostly a stay-at-home Mom right now, with 4 children, ages three to eleven, but she also works part-time at the English Department at WMU. She has a PhD in Victorian Literature and is a specialist on Victorian Science and Literature. She says: “Public libraries are one of the few true equalizers in our society because they can be accessed by everyone. I consider working for our library as a form of activism, as a way to level inequality. It’s also a crucial location for us to build a sense of community in Portage.”
Term Expires: June 30, 2013

Joseph Yantis

Joseph (Joe) E. Yantis, and his wife Sharon, have lived in Portage since 1977 and have had three children graduate from the Portage schools. During this time, he has been active in community affairs – serving in the Kalamazoo Chamber, his church – Portage United Church of Christ, the SLD Center, The Portage Rotary Club, The Michigan Garden Clubs, and other organizations. He is the owner Y-Communications, an advertising, marketing and public relations business started in 1989. This member moved to Portage from St. Joseph to work in a local advertising agency and was later named president of an Iowa public relations agency. His experience includes industrial, education, community foundations and allied service, and he has been employed by Whirlpool Corporation and Prab Inc. Joe was named as a full-time visiting professor of advertising and public relations for Grand Valley State University and served four years as an adjunct professor of communications at Western Michigan University. He earned his undergraduate degree at Ohio State University (Ag Economics and Rural Sociology) and a Masters Degree (Communications) at Michigan State University, and is professional accredited by the Public Relations Society of America. Joe says: “The two most important qualities in life are Truth and Trust. Both of these seem to be in short supply these days, so let’s do our part to turn the tide.
Term Expires: June 30, 2011