New library director to arrive in May
Carolyn Goolsby, 51, will begin work in May as Haines’ new library director. Goolsby, who once lived in a monastery for 10 months, won a round of Jeopardy, and set records in the world of competitive weight lifting, will move to Haines from Indiana.
Originally from Georgia, Goolsby has worked at libraries across the country and in Canada. She earned her master’s in library science from the University of Maryland. Goolsby also taught library science at the graduate level at Florida State University. After leaving that position, she joined the monastery.
“I lived as the nuns lived but I wasn’t vowed in any way. It turned out not to be my calling, but it was an amazing experience,” Goolsby said. “It helped me figure out who I am and what I’m about. That’s when I decided to pursue public library work. Working in the public library is the best job ever.”
Goolsby owns a library consulting business and specializes in the cataloguing of books.
She said she’s looking forward to working in an award-winning facility that is already well run.
“I’m so happy to join that team,” Goolsby said. “Things I was telling (library staff) I did in other libraries the Haines library has been doing for years. There’s not much I can teach the staff in Haines.”
Goolsby said she has many passions. She said she fell in love with weight lifting when she was 15 years old after foul weather forced her high school gym class inside for the day.
“It was raining that day and they took us into the weight room,” Goolsby said. “I didn’t have a plan or a coach, I just went in and lifted a few things and left. I got into doing it by chance but discovered that I enjoyed it and that’s been my main exercise ever since.”
In 2002, Goolsby won the world championship international all-round weight-lifting competition and set several records.
“People love to talk about it and I set some records but I was the only person in my weight class. I was competing against the record book. A couple of them are still standing. I beat a one-armed deadlift record set by a professional arm wrestler. That was a pretty good one.”
Goolsby also competed in Jeopardy in 2003 and swept the “hair” category along with the first round. She lost the second round to a Marine sergeant.
“Everybody that you see on the television is equally smart,” Goolsby said. “It comes down to being comfortable in front of the audience and being fast on the buzzer.”
Goolsby also said she enjoys fishing, embroidery and cooking. She will drive to Haines in May with her “fastidious” cat Satchel who she described as “a sensitive boy.”
She said her favorite book is “Good Omens” by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.
“I’m looking forward to becoming part of the community,” Goolsby said. “Please come to the library and say hello.”
The Haines Borough will pay Goolsby a salary of $66,713.
Bank manager enjoys outdoor lifestyle
First National Bank Alaska has a new Haines branch manager. Wendell Harren, 24, moved to the Chilkat Valley from Wasilla, where he worked as a loan officer.
Harren was born in Wasilla and played hockey for Wasilla High School before earning a bachelor’s in economics from St. Johns University.
He said he originally wanted to study engineering, but enjoyed using math to address social issues.
“I was looking at a more math- based career in engineering and I got sucked into using math for social issues,” Harren said. “It was a new concept and exciting.”
Harren, a formidable competitor, played hockey earlier this month at Raven’s Arena. He also climbed Mount Ripinsky.
He said he enjoys most outdoor activities. “I like anything outdoors really: camping, skiing, snowboarding and hunting,” Harren said. “I’m going to have to transition from moose to deer and goats.”
Harren said he wanted to work in Haines because it appeared to be a “cozy, diverse community with a deceptively large amount of things happening.”
Harren also plays the guitar and banjo.
He arrived at the end of February, just before former manager Kyle Gray left for Fairbanks.
New LCC director has Southeast roots
Lynn Canal Conservation has hired its first executive director. Elsa Sebastian, originally from Point Baker on Prince of Wales Island, has lived and worked in Southeast Alaska most of her life.
She ran her own commercial troller for six years, worked as a deckhand in Bristol Bay and has lived in many communities in the region.
“I did a few years of high school in Petersburg,” Sebastian said. “From there I went to college back in Boston. As soon as I was able, I came back to Alaska and I’ve been here since. Haines is one of the last places I haven’t lived.”
Sebastian graduated from Wellesley College with a bachelor’s in environmental studies and communication. She’s worked for Trout Unlimited and in a campaign that opposed the Pebble Mine project. She also worked for the Alaska Whale Foundation and helped establish a research field station in Warm Springs Bay for the study of marine mammals.
She said at 27 years old, she wanted to step into a regional leadership role.“One of the things I have been concerned about is that there aren’t enough young Southeast Alaskans stepping into leadership roles with conservation work,” Sebastian said. “I think it’s really important that local people step into those roles because we have perspective and we know what it means to live in a place like this.”
Sebastian said she wants to prioritize salmon habitat, not just in Haines but across Southeast Alaska.
“It’s easy to feel like conservation issues only have local impacts, but I’m pretty sure I’ve been catching Chilkat king salmon and coho salmon pretty much my entire life,” Sebastian said. “Not a lot of Southeast Alaskans realize what’s going on up here. That definitely drew me to the job and made me feel like I could do something that was connected to all of the time that I’ve put in fishing in Southeast Alaska.”
Sebastian said one of her priorities will be making sure the region “knows what’s at stake with the Constantine mine project.”
“I’m hoping that involves some outreach with commercial fishing groups,” Sebastian said.
Sebastian said she’s aware of Haines’ reputation for divisiveness over conservation issues, and that she’s no stranger to that conflict.
“Being from Prince of Wales, there are fishermen and loggers there, which has been true since white people have been in Alaska, and there’s always been conflict on that island. I grew up with that conflict. I’m pretty confident in being able to connect with and understand people regardless of their positions on issues.”