Friends Board Member Profiles

Theodore (Ted) Hiller joined the Friends board in October 2005.  Dr. Hiller operated a general dentistry dental practice in New York for forty-two years prior to retiring to Williamsburg.  He is a native of Flushing, N.Y., whose interests include golf, travel, history, and, of course, reading.  Dr. Hiller is also active with the James City County Rotary and Faith in Action groups.  In addition to his volunteer activities here in Williamsburg, Dr. Hiller also served as board president of the Fayetteville Free Library in New York.  A regular presence at the library’s lectures and concerts, Dr. Hiller comments that “The Williamsburg Regional Library is a wonderful library – a community asset.”

Joan Costello joined the Friends board in June 2010 and currently serves as the co-chair of the Williamsburg Library Book Nook committee.  Ms. Costello has been an enthusiastic volunteer since 2008.  She holds a B.S. in education and a master's degree in education from Kean University.  She taught elementary education for twenty-five years and moved to Virginia seven years ago.  Prior to volunteering at WRL, Joan also worked as a library assistant, processing new books, shelving, and delivering storytimes.  She enjoys traveling, gardening, and reading.

Mike Caplice joined the Friends board in January 2012.  Mr. Caplice holds a BSBA from John Carrol University and MBA from Western Reserve University.  He served for 13 years in the US Army, both active and reserve and was a long-time resident of Simsburg, CT.  Mr. Caplice retired from IBM, and during his retirement in Williamsburg, he has served on the Christopher Wren Association and the Weavers of the Word Board.  Most notably, Mr. Caplice served on the WRL Foundation Board for six years, five of which he spent as Treasurer.  His interests include history, travel, and storytelling.

Max Burry joined the Friends board shortly after he moved to Williamsburg from Carteret County, NC, where he served the Friends of Carteret County Library seasonally as a used book sales representative on the Beaufort, NC waterfront. Max said that many of his customers were people sailing their pleasure boats up and down the Intracoastal Waterway, and they were happy for the opportunity to restock their shipboard libraries for bargain prices.  He is a graduate of the University of Maine and describes himself as a "voracious reader," who often has as many as three books "underway" at the same time. He had a management career in telecommunications with a Bell System company for thirty-one years and then took early retirement to return to his alma mater as president/executive director of the University of Maine Alumni Association. Since 2010, Max has served the Friends as president twice and he currently holds the position of Secretary.

Jim Bowers joined the Friends board in January 2012 and has been a Friends member since 2002.  Mr. Bowers holds a Master’s degree in Library Science from Rutgers University and an MBA from Fairleigh Rickenson University.  Mr. Bowers worked at Bell Laboratories before retiring and is the immediate past president of the Christopher Wren Association. About the library’s role in the community, Mr. Bowers commented that “The library is a place of information sharing. It is a resource for citizens regardless of their means.” Mr. Bowers’ interests include volunteering, reading, travel, and music, and as a member of the Friends’ Board of Directors, he is particularly interested in the changing role of technology in the library. 

Ethell Hill - coming soon

Evelyn Lee - coming soon

Joe Rountree joined the Friends board in 1991.  During his tenure, he has served as secretary, treasurer, and president.  He holds a B.A. from Yale University and retired in 2009 after serving more than forty years as the Director of Publications for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.  Active in the Williamsburg community, Mr. Rountree has been president of the Williamsburg Bibliophiles and a senior warden of Bruton Parish church.  In addition, he currently serves as editor of the Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine.  As a member of the Friends Board of Directors, Mr. Rountree is particularly interested in helping to build library collections, both traditional and digital.

Sandra Stephan joined the Friends board in June 2010.  Dr. Stephan is a retired professor of English, who taught at Youngstown State University.  Dr. Stephan earned both her M.A. and Ph.D. in eighteenth-century British Literature from Tulane University.  A native of Philadelphia, she has lived in many places, both at home and abroad as the wife of a career U.S. Naval officer.  She retired to Williamsburg in 2006.  In addition to serving on the Friends of WRL Board, Dr. Stephan has also volunteered with the Occasion for the Arts and First Night for several years.  She has served as an instructor for WALT and the Christopher Wren Association, as well as acting as a volunteer interpreter in Colonial Williamsburg.  Her interests include literature, history, art, music, gardening, and travel.  Reflecting on the Williamsburg Regional Library, Dr. Stephan writes that “WRL is one of the best libraries I’ve encountered…I am so appreciative of the resources offered by public libraries, and particularly WRL, that I joined the Friends of the Library at the first opportunity. I am delighted to be able to contribute in my small way to the WRL by working in the nook and serving on the Board of Directors.”

Pat Walsh joined the Friends board in January 2011.  Ms. Walsh has chaired the Friends’ Book Sale since the fall of 2010 and enjoys the challenge of coordinating and organizing such a worthwhile endeavor.  She holds a B.S. from the University of Houston and two graduate degrees in education.  Her love of reading and books rests on a solid foundation in her academic experiences.  She has lived in the Middle East, the Far East, and on three coasts in the U.S., finally settling in Williamsburg seven years ago.  Considering the Friends, Ms. Walsh noted that “It is so gratifying to know how much the Friends contribute to the support of our library, in particular to the summer reading program.”

Ray Wolf joined the Friends board in October 2005.  Mr. Wolf is married with two grown sons, and holds a B.A. in History from the University of Connecticut and an M.A. in History from the University of Michigan.  A native of Connecticut, Mr. Wolf taught high school history for many years and his interest in history continues into his retirement as a volunteer interpreter at Historic Jamestowne.  Mr. Wolf is also an avid baseball and football fan, as well as an enthusiastic fisherman and boater.  About the library, Mr. Wolf writes, “From our first encounter with the WRL we have been greatly impressed by its versatility and overall excellence and from our early days in Williamsburg we made vows to help maintain these qualities through giving our time and energy and by our financial support.”