The Board of Directors
President
David Howe
David grew up in rural Abington and is a graduate of Pomfret Community School, the Pomfret School, and the University of Connecticut.
With his wife Deborah, David returned to Abington in 2002 after years working in western and central Connecticut.
David was recruited to the Board of the Abington Social Library by long time president Dr. Bruce Valentine.
Retired from leadership positions in the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, David continues to consult and teach and serves as a Clinical Instructor in Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine.
Vice-President
Donna Dufresne
Donna Dufresne is an educator, writer, and historian from the “Quiet Corner” of Connecticut. She is a member of the Windham/Willimantic NAACP and is involved in several historical research projects to educate students and adults about the rich and diverse understory of local history.
Ms. Dufresne also serves on the boards of the Pomfret Historical Society, the education committee of the NAACP, and on various committees at The First Congregational Church of Woodstock.
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Treasurer
Jay Livernois
Jay was born on his great-grandfather's dirt farm in North Woodstock, the same area where the library's founder, the Rev. Walter Lyon, was born and raised. He is a graduate of The Woodstock Academy and UConn (in English and Comparative Literature). He has worked in international publishing and directed cultural and intellectual institutions in Switzerland and France. He is an Army veteran and now cooks in a French restaurant in Southbridge, Mass. where he is the chef / owner.
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Secretary
Kate Dobosz
Kate has been going to the library since January 2023, is a graduate of the Pomfret Community School, and is currently attending The Woodstock Academy. She enjoys reading and writing along with sports--skiing, track and field, and horseback riding. Kate devotes her extra time to becoming a better citizen, athlete, student, and family member.
Board Member
Susan Preston Boland
Susan has been a Pomfret Resident for almost fifty years. She holds a B.A. from UCONN, an M.S. in Elementary Education from Eastern Connecticut State University, and a certificate in landscape design from George Washington University.
Susan has been a member of the Abington Social Library’s Board of Directors for many years. She also served two terms as an elected member of the Pomfret Library’s Board of Trustees.
She spent her career teaching sixth grade at the Pomfret Community School. Now retired, she spends much of her time along with her husband reading, gardening, and babysitting.
She is the daughter of a teacher, the mother of a teacher, and grandmother to a quintet of avid readers that will likely produce at least one more teacher in a couple of decades.
Board Member
Bob Howe
Bob owns Dorr Aviation Credit Corporation which primarily provides financing for the acquisition of general aviation aircraft for individuals and businesses. He has been involved in aviation for over 37 years as a business owner, pilot, Board Member of the Marlboro Airport, AOPA member, former Board Member and President of the National Aircraft Finance Association, and currently sits on NAFA's "Light Aircraft Round Table". Bob was also a long time Board Member and Board President of the St. Joseph School in Thompson. Bob is a Graduate of the University of Wisconsin with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics. Bob enjoys hunting, fishing, traveling, and is a lifetime member of the NRA. Bob is married with three adult children and lives in Dudley, Massachusetts.
Board Member
Alice G. Kuzel
Alice’s love of books, art, and education were fostered at an early age by her family. She earned a bachelor of arts in English from Eastern Connecticut State University; Master of Education from Sacred Heart University; in 2011, she spent a summer as a Fellow of the Connecticut Writing Project at the University of Connecticut. Alice and her husband, Shane, raised their three daughters in Lebanon, Conn., where they lived for over 30 years. Presently, she works as a museum educator at Old Sturbridge Village. She and her husband own Immaculate Concepts Home Remodeling, LLC; they currently live in Pomfret Center, Connecticut.
Board Member
Judy Miller
Judy Miller has lived in Pomfret for thirty-five years. She has a lifelong love of reading and has been a patron of The Abington Social Library for three decades. She is a member of the Book Club, active in fund raising, and a member of the Library's Board for two years.
Board Member
Sue Peyton
Sue is currently the library media specialist at Pomfret Community School and has lived in Abington for over 30 years. A lifelong reader and book lover, Sue enjoys reading children’s literature - especially young adult fantasy books. She attended UConn and Southern CT State University, where she received a degree in library science. She is also a fiber artist, using her sheeps’ wool to make all kinds of things.