About the Foundation
Philanthropy created the library in Forest Grove. In the early 20th Century, Adeline Rogers, having grown up in Vermont and traveling extensively in Europe, Hong Kong and Mexico, settled in Forest Grove. In 1909 she donated property to the city which became a reading room open to the public — a place to foster culture and life-long learning. The Rogers City Library remained at 21st and College Way until 1978, when the city built a new library on Pacific Avenue between Ash and Birch streets.
The public/private partnership continued in 1998 with the passage by voters of a $2.2 million bond measure to expand the facility. In 2000, community leaders and library supporters formed the Forest Grove Library Foundation. The first goal of the Foundation was to fund the remodel of the original portion of the building to coordinate its use better with the newer portion. That $1.3 million fundraising goal was reached in 2006 as the community joined the Foundation to “Help Write the Next Chapter.”
Now the Foundation is engaged in a project to raise $250,000 for furniture, art and signage. Please explore our website to find out more about the Foundation and how you can help be part of our project as “The Story Unfolds.”
The Forest Grove Library Foundation is an independent 501(c)3 non-profit charitable organization (Tax ID: 91-2073092).
Our Mission
The Forest Grove Library Foundation exists to support the mission of the Library: to encourage reading and life-long learning, and to foster an appreciation of literature, culture, and the fine arts. We raise private funds to enhance the Library facility and to provide long-term support for needs that are not met through public funding.
Board Members
Rod Fuiten, President
Rod is a life-long resident of Forest Grove, a local business owner, former City Councilor and currently serves as Chairman of the city’s Budget Committee. He has been on the board since 2005.
Linda Saari, Vice President
Linda is the retired Publisher/Editor of the Forest Grove News-Times, the local weekly community newspaper, and now volunteers for several non-profit organizations. She has been on the board since 2000, serving as president 2001-06.
Michael M. Moore, Treasurer
Mike has been a practicing attorney in Forest Grove since 1972. He has been on the board since 2000, serving as co-president in 2000.
Phil Ruder, Secretary
Phil is a Distinguished Professor at Pacific University, where he has taught economics since 1994. Phil has served in many volunteer capacities in Forest Grove, coaching youth baseball and soccer, serving on the Planning Commission until 2022, and fundraising for the Foundation since 2001. He has been on the board since 2009.
Michael R. Smith
Mike was the Forest Grove Library Director, 1974-85, and has been a board member of the Friends of the Library since. He has been on the board since 2010.
Kathy Mandis
Kathy has lived in Forest Grove since 1979 and is an antiques dealer. She has been involved with the Foundation and other volunteer activities for many years. She was elected to the board in November 2010.
Sharon Olmstead
Sharon, a Financial Advisor with Edward Jones, has lived in the community of Forest Grove for 22 years. She is an active volunteer with the Rotary Club of Forest Grove and has previously been on the board of the Forest Grove Senior and Community Center. Sharon has served on the board since January 2022.
Emeritus
Michael J. O’Brien
Michael served as co-president in 2000 at the forming of the Foundation, serving on the board until 2007. He is a former mayor of Forest Grove and currently an attorney and municipal judge.
Richard M. Ginsburg
Dick was a board member of the Friends of the Library for many years and was an immigration and nationality law attorney until his untimely death in 2015. He served on the Foundation board 2000-07.
Michael R. Steele
Mike is a Distinguished Professor at Pacific University who teaches English and coaches handball. He has been at Pacific since 1975, and has served the local community as a school board member and Library Foundation member during its first capital campaign. He served on the Foundation Board 2000-07.
Charles McAvoy
Charles was a retired school principal, served on the City’s Planning Commission, and was a member of the Friends of the Library, serving as president for two years. He served on the Foundation board 2000-10.
Betsy Foster
Betsy served many roles in the Forest Grove community, directing the children’s choir at the UCC Church, volunteering at the local cooperative Valley Art, a member of a women’s organization that provides scholarships for females, and an energetic fundraiser for the Forest Grove Library Foundation. Betsy served on the board from 2008 to 2021.
Library Director
Colleen Winters
Colleen has been Director of the Forest Grove City Library since 1985 and serves in an ex-officio capacity with the Foundation board.
