Thursday, June 26, 2008

The Post-Standard (Syracuse, New York), June 19, 2008, Thursday

Copyright 2008 Post-Standard

All Rights Reserved.

The Post-Standard (Syracuse, New York)

June 19, 2008, Thursday

NORTHEAST EDITION

SECTION: NEIGHBORS; NEWS PROFILE; Pg. 2

HEADLINE: A VOICE IN THE COMMUNITY; LIVERPOOL'S MARK SPADAFORE HAS SERVED 10 YEARS ON THE LIBRARY BOARD

BYLINE: Editorial assistant Brenda Duncan

BODY:

Editorial assistant Brenda Duncan interviewed Mark Spadafore, of Liverpool. He was recently elected to his third term on the board of the Liverpool Public Library.

Name: Mark Spadafore

Age: 38

Where do you live? 824 Second St., Liverpool

How long have you lived here? 12 years

Do you have a family? I have a wife, Karen, and a dog, Mini.

Educational background: I have a bachelor's in political science, history and secondary social studies education from Keuka College. I've also taken courses at Cornell University through the Industrial Labor Relations School.

Occupation: I am the executive director of the Syracuse Alliance for a New Economy -- they go by the acronym SANE.

How long have you been in the job? Since August of last year.

What is SANE? SANE is a not-for-profit that advocates for responsible economic development. That's the short answer.

What do you like best about your job? SANE is a brand new 501c3 so I'm building the organization from the ground up and that's very challenging. As I like to say to people, it's like I'm building a house while hosting a dinner party.

What is the most challenging aspect? Right now, it's just me and I have two paid interns. It's kind of like I'm kind of the jack of all trades. I'm raising money to keep the organization going while also doing the nuts and bolts stuff.

How long have you been on the Liverpool Public Library board? I just got elected to my third term so I've been on the board for 10 years. I also have the distinction to be the only person on the board to win a contested election for board trustee, that was 10 years ago.

What is the board's role? Our role is to really be the community voice in library matters. A lot of people don't realize this, but the Liverpool Public Library is the busiest library in the county. We get more people coming through our doors than come through the downtown library. And we have a reputation of being a very progressive, cutting-edge library. That's attributed to decisions that are made by the trustees, but really it's the staff. The staff are the ones that really make that place go well.

Why did you decide to get involved initially? A few different things. One, I worked there for eight years when I was younger. At the time, there was a lot of transition going on at the library and I thought I could play a role in bringing someone who also worked there but also someone who is a patron of the library and bring that perspective.

What do you find more rewarding about your work with the board? Working with my fellow trustees -- there are seven of us and we're all very dedicated, community-minded people, and that's really a thrill to be around good, smart people who just want to do the right thing for the right reasons. The other piece of it is to just be a part of an organization that is so progressive and runs really well because I believe that libraries are vital organizations for democracy. The free-flow of information is very important to have an informed electorate which is vitally important for a democracy. Libraries are kind of a vanguard against fascism.

Do you have a proudest moment? When my wife said "yes" to marry me.

The greatest obstacle I've overcome: Dealing with some people in the community who are just reticent to change.

My favorite quote: This used to be on the signature of all my emails, "Some days you contemplate the great mysteries of life. Other days, you just want a piece of chocolate cake."

My pet peeve: Intolerant people.

The most serious question facing my community: I think it's the growing rates of poverty in Liverpool. I saw a statistic that around half of the students at Liverpool Elementary are on federal lunch programs. People are shocked when they hear that but I think we need to start addressing that Liverpool is increasingly becoming a community divided along income lines.

When you were a child, what did you dream about becoming? I wanted to be Reggie Jackson.

Do you have a silly habit? I like playing video games -- being 38 that might be silly.

What are your favorite movies? "Citizen Kane" and "The Shawshank Redemption"

The best advice I ever heard: Always go with your strengths.

One thing I definitely want to do in my lifetime: Travel the world. I want to go to every continent.

What are you most passionate about? Justice -- justice is the public expression of love.

One thing about me that would surprise people: At my core, I'm really kind of a shy guy.

The best gift I've ever given: When I was in college, I made a videotape of a day in my life for my mom. It was a gift for her, but years later, I found it and it was a gift to myself to see how far I had come.

GRAPHIC: PHOTO Hal Slate/The Post-Standard MARK SPADAFORE has just been reelected to the board of the Liverpool Public Library.

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