Board of Trustees
Governance
The King County Library System (KCLS) is governed by the seven-member Board of Trustees in accordance with RCW 27.12.192. Board members are appointed by the King County Executive and confirmed by the King County Council. Trustees serve for no more than two consecutive five-year terms.
Board Opening
Thank you to everyone who applied for the open Board of Trustees position. The application window has closed. Candidates are being evaluated by the King County Boards and Commissions office.
Open Public Meetings
Board meetings are held at 5:00pm on the last Wednesday of each month. Unless otherwise noted, meetings are held at the KCLS Service Center, 960 Newport Way NW, Issaquah, 98027.
- Meetings are open to the public in accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act (RCW 42.30, opens a new window).
- Agendas are posted no later than 24 hours before each meeting.
- Public comment is heard during the first 30 minutes of each meeting. The Board has adopted guidelines to facilitate the fair and orderly expression of public comments.
- If you would like to address the Board during public comment, please sign up prior to the meeting:
- For in-person attendees, please sign up on the paper form near the entrance of the meeting room.
- For remote attendees, please email BoardMeetingSupport@kcls.org with your full name and topic to be discussed no later than 4pm on the day of the meeting.
The Board may convene an Executive Session to discuss matters in compliance with RCW 42.30, opens a new window. Executive sessions are not open to the public.
Contact
Board Meeting Agendas and Minutes
Find Board Meeting Information on BoardBook
You can now find board meeting information in a new location online. We've moved meeting details, links, and agendas to a new platform called BoardBook. You can now sign up to receive email notifications about upcoming meetings and more. We will no longer post links to minutes and agendas on this page after March. Moving forward, please visit the BoardBook website to stay informed.
2025 | Previous Years
January 29
Agenda
- January 29 agenda online, opens a new window (Read in website browser)
- January 29 agenda PDF (Download file)
Minutes
- January 29 minutes PDF (Download file)
February 26
Agenda
- February 26 agenda online (Read in a website browser)
- February 26 agenda PDF (Download file)
Minutes
- February 26 minutes online (Read in a website browser)
- February 26 minutes PDF (Download file)
March 26 Public Forum
- March 26 agenda online (Read in website browser)
- March 26 agenda PDF (Download file)
April 2
Special Meeting for Executive Session
April 30
May 28
Held at the Kirkland Library
June 25 Public Forum
July 30
Held at the Bellevue Library
No August Meeting
September 17 Public Forum
Held at the Burien Library
October 18 Special Meeting
Board Retreat
October 29
Preliminary budget
November 19
December 17 Public Forum
Final budget approval
Trustee Biographies
Harish Kulkarni
Term Expires: January 1, 2029
Appointed: 2020
Education: MS, University of Washington; Bachelor of Engineering, Bangalore University, India.
Occupation: Senior Engineering Manager, Google
Community Involvement: ALS Association, Washington Trails. MS Green
Interests: Accessibility, education, environment. hiking, climbing, skiing
Jeffery (Jeff) Guddat - Board Secretary
Term Expires: January 1, 2029
Appointed: 2022
Education: Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration-emphasis in Accounting, University of Washington
Occupation: Retired CPA
Community Involvement: Seattle Public Library Foundation (retired CFO), KCLS Foundation Board of Directors
Interests: Hiking, mountain climbing, reading, visiting with children and grandchildren
Srini Raghavan
Term Expires: January 1, 2030
Appointed: 2020
Occupation: Corporate Vice President, PM at Microsoft Corporation
Education: MBA, University of Pittsburgh, Katz School of Business
Community Involvement: Wellspring Family Services, Make-A-Wish, Lake Washington School District Volunteer
Interests: Technology, education, business, environment and art.
Lalita Uppala
Term Expires: January 1, 2026
Appointed: 2016
Education: University of Washington’s School of Public Health
Occupation: Executive Director, Indian American Community Services (IACS)
Community Involvement: Washington State Commission on Asia Pacific American Affairs (currently 1st Vice Chair); Asia Pacific Islander Coalition (currently Co-Chair); King County Immigrant Refugee Commission (former member); India Association of Western Washington (former Board member)
Interests: Ms.Uppala is a passionate advocate of literacy through all mediums and believes in innovative programming that educates, mentors, and connects King County residents through the written word.
Laura Valenziano - Board President
Term Expires: January 1, 2027
Appointed: 2022
Education: Bachelor of Science, Psychology, Iowa State University; Masters and PhD, Human Resources, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Occupation: Engineering Program Manager, Stripe
Community Involvement: Technology Advisory Boards (2019 - present), Cook Memorial Library Board Trustee (2020 - 2021), Residential Advisory Board Member and Treasurer (2020-2021)
Interests: Mentoring, Hiking, Gardening, Reading, Baking
Verna Seal
Term Expires: January 1, 2028
Appointed: 2023
Education: Advanced Paralegal Certificate, Northeastern University School of Law; Bachelor of Science, Political Science, California State University, Fullerton
Occupation: Immigration Paralegal, Ryan Swanson & Cleveland, PLLC
Community Involvement: Retired Tukwila City Council Member (16 years), Tukwila Library Advisory Board, Tukwila Arts Commission
Interests: Community involvement, Immigrant Rights and Immigration Advocacy, Reading, Travel