American Library Association Service
Selected Leadership
Executive Board Member
As a 2017-2020 Executive Board member, Lessa belonged to the most diverse group of members ever elected. She served on the Board’s Governance Task Force, was the Board representative to the Budget Analysis and Review Committee (BARC) and was the liaison to the: Committee on Membership Meetings, Committee on the Status of Women in Libraries (COSWL), Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services (ODLOS) Advisory Committee, Public Awareness Committee (PAC), Public Library Association (PLA), Scholarships and Study Grants Committee, and the Sustainability Round Table (SustainRT).
Steering Committee on Organizational Effectiveness (SCOE) Chair
As Chair of SCOE, Lessa led a committee of 20 individuals from across the association in conducting an analysis of ALA’s governance structure and organizational effectiveness. The group spoke to thousands of ALA members over the course of two years and brought their findings together in the Forward Together report.
Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services (ODLOS) Advisory Committee Chair
As the first Chair of the ODLOS Advisory Committee from 2016-2017, Lessa helped establish working relationships between ALA groups and ALA Affiliates invested in Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services. Under her leadership, ODLOS created the EDI Speakers’ Bureau.
ALA Council, Committees, & More
Chair, Patty Wong Presidential Advisory Committee, 2020-2022
Councilor at Large, 2012-2015, 2015-2018, 2020-2023
Constitution & Bylaws Committee, 2020-2022
Spectrum Scholarship Juror, 2020
Executive Board Member, 2017-2020
Chair, Steering Committee on Organizational Effectiveness, 2018-2020
Budget Analysis Review Committee (BARC), 2019-2020
Elected Council Rep, Planning & Budget Assembly (PBA), 2016-2018
Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Great Stories Club: National Advisor, 2017-2018
Development Task Force, 2017-2018
ODLOS Advisory Committee, 2016-2018
Chair, ODLOS Advisory Committee, 2016-2017
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Implementation Working Group, 2016-2018
Committee on Diversity, 2012-2016
Spectrum Advisory Committee, 2013-2015
ALA Divisions
ALSC Membership Committee, 2014-2016
ALSC Día Family Book Club Contributor, 2013
ALSC Liaison with National Organizations Serving Children and Youth Committee, 2012-2014
LLAMA New Professionals Section Web Team, 2014
2011 Emerging Leader
As an Emerging Leader, Lessa worked on the project “Leading with LLAMA?”, the first of a 3-year series of emerging leaders projects from the Library Leadership and Management Association that led to the creation of the New Members Working Group.
ALA Memberships
A 14 year member since library school at UCLA, Lessa currently belongs to the below areas of ALA and the Freedom to Read Foundation. She has also previously been a member of the Ethnic & Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table (EMIERT) and the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). Her commitment to ALA and its fiscal stability is demonstrated through her 1876 Club planned gift.
Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)
Starting off as a children’s librarian with a continued interest in children’s services and youth literature, Lessa is proud to have served on multiple ALSC committees and contributed to the USBBY Bridge to Understanding Award winning Día Family Book Club.
Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures
Invested in leadership from the beginning of her career, Lessa’s 2011 Emerging Leaders project with LLAMA began a years-long membership with LLAMA and is now proudly a Core member.
Public Library Association (PLA)
A career long-public librarian, Lessa was pleased to serve as the Executive Board Liaison to PLA from 2018-2020.
Rainbow Round Table (RRT)
Committed to creating an inclusive profession and society, Lessa is proud to be an ally of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Social Responsibilities Round Table (SRRT)
The values and ideals of SRRT are those that attracted Lessa to the profession and keep her invested.
Sustainability Round Table (SustainRT)
Pleased to serve as Sustainability Round Table’s Executive Board Liaison from 2017-2020, the issues and push towards creating a sustainable future are at the core of Lessa’s concerns.