Board of Directors

Cheryl is a long-time supporter of libraries.  She credits her love for libraries to her mother who made a wise decision when Cheryl was young to move to a home that was two blocks from the Brea city library.  Having a library close by helped ignite Cheryl’s passion for reading and libraries.

Cheryl is retired from the University of California Riverside where she was Assistant Vice Chancellor of Administration.  She relishes opportunities now to visit libraries around the world with her husband John.

She brings to the board a background in management, systems, finance and accounting.  She has a bachelor’s degree in business, an MBA and professional certifications in auditing and systems.

Shannon Kane, Secretary
Shannon is the Finance Manager at Habitat for Humanity Riverside. Over the last 25 years, her positions have ranged from Bookkeeper, Tax Preparer, Finance Manager, Controller and Director of Administration. After completing her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from University of California Riverside, she moved to Taos, New Mexico for 12 years. Shortly after her son was born, she and the family returned home to Riverside. She was thrilled to join the Riverside Art Museum as Finance Manager. After leaving RAM, she accepted a position as Controller and later Director of Administration, at a large private corporation. Shannon is proud to have been involved with the Law Enforcement Appreciation Committee (LEAC) since her return to Riverside in 2011. She is a 2023 graduate of the Leadership Riverside program. She currently lives in Arlington Heights with her husband and 2 children, both of whom are students in the Dual Language Immersion program at RUSD.

Shannon has been a reader from the beginning and was blessed to grow up in a home with an actual library containing shelves and shelves of books. As all readers know, you have to train your family as to what living with a reader means. For her parents it meant a booklight was always at the top of her Christmas list so she could read after they turned the lights off. Her husband learned early on that packing 6 books for vacation was indeed the norm and there was a good chance she’d need to buy one at the airport on the way home. Her daughter Rebecca is named after one of her favorite books and both kids know that there is never a “quick” trip to the bookstore.

Susan Toscano is a retired educator. She is a graduate of the University of California Riverside, receiving a B.A. in English Literature and an M.A. in Educational Administration. She worked for Riverside Unified School District for twenty six years as a teacher, principal and Director of State and Federal Programs. She spent the next 16 years as an Education Consultant working with Riverside County Office of Education and school districts throughout the state of California to improve student achievement, particularly in literacy. Susan is a Southern California native.  She moved to Riverside in 1967 with her family.  An active member of the Riverside community she has been a member of Panhellenic, Junior League of Riverside and the Arlington Rotary. For several years she has served on the Pencils and Dreams charity Board. This organization builds and supports classrooms for children in Tanzania. Her past times include jewelry making and reading.  She looks forward to supporting the Riverside Public Libraries as a valuable resource in our community. Susan invites you to join her and the Riverside Public Library Foundation in contributing to the city’s libraries through this website, during our Annual Campaign, or the Foundations yearly fundraiser.

Brian Federici
Brian is a retired professor of entomology and molecular biology still active in research at UC Riverside. He joined UCR in 1974, and throughout his career has focused on developing environmentally safe methods for controlling mosquitoes and major caterpillar pests of agricultural crops. Brian hails from New Jersey and received his undergraduate BS at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, and MS and PhD at the University of Florida, Gainesville.

During his career, Brian has been a consultant on mosquito vectors of disease for the World Health Organization, and for the USDA and US EPA on the safety of genetically engineered crops. At UCR he served on many academic senate committees, including being chair of the Committee on Educational Policy, where he emphasized the importance of all undergraduates having a broad general education in science and the humanities regardless of their major. Related to this, he advocated strongly for the expansion of library services at UCR.

Brian is married to Claire Thomas Federici, PhD, a research associate at UCR working to improve various citrus varieties. They have two children, Valery, a Wall Street attorney living in Brooklyn, and Christopher, a software engineer for a subsidiary of Airbus, living in Escondido with their grandson, Nicolas. Brian and Claire’s hobbies include reading, gardening, and travel, the latter often with members of their extended family and friends, and especially enjoy the food and wines of France, Italy, and of course, California.

Janette Johnson
Janette Johnson earned a Ph.D in comparative literature from the University of Illinois and a BA in comparative literature from the University of Washington. She also attended Mills College and the Sorbonne in Paris.

Janette studied the Persian language with an NDFL scholarship. She then traveled to Iran, taught English language and literature at the university in Shiraz, and also co-presented an English language televised course.

After receiving her Ph.D, Janette joined the English department at the University of Florida and taught a variety of classes in American literature and writing as well as seminars in the honors program. In Gainesville Janette volunteered as a docent at the Florida Museum of Natural History and at the Harn Museum of Art, where she served in multiple positions on the Docent Board. In addition, Janette was the inaugural proposal editor for the University of Florida Foundation.

Janette was born in Alaska and grew up in Edmonds, Washington. In 2005, she moved to Riverside with her husband, Reza Abbaschian, when he became the dean of the Bourns College of Engineering at UCR. She has two children and two grandchildren.

Sonnet McClure
Meet Sonnet, a dedicated professional with a passion for marketing and service, who has spent the past two decades making her mark in Riverside County. With an impressive career in the marketing industry, she has become a respected figure known for her creativity, innovation, and unwavering work ethic.

Throughout her career, Sonnet has honed her skills in various aspects of marketing, from strategic planning and brand development to digital marketing and advertising campaigns. Her ability to adapt to changing trends and technologies has kept her at the forefront of her field, allowing her to consistently deliver exceptional results for her clients and employer.

Beyond her professional achievements, Sonnet is also a devoted mother to a teenage daughter. Balancing the demands of her career with the joys and challenges of parenthood, she exemplifies resilience, dedication, and a commitment to both her family and her work.

In her community, Sonnet is known for her generosity and willingness to lend a helping hand. Whether volunteering her time for local charities or participating in community events or local sports clubs, she believes in giving back and making a positive impact wherever she can.

As Sonnet looks towards the future, she remains committed to excellence in her career, continuing to strive for growth and innovation in the dynamic world of marketing. With her wealth of experience, boundless creativity, and unwavering determination, she is poised to continue making a difference in Riverside County and beyond for many years to come.

Barbara is an Army brat whose family moved to Riverside upon her father’s retirement. She holds a BA from the University of California, Riverside; an MA from the University of Washington in Seattle; and her Juris Doctorate from George Washington Law School in Washington DC. Barbara was an attorney with the Riverside City Attorney’s office for more than 25 years. She has been on the boards of various nonprofit organization including the Inland Counties Legal Services; the League of Women Voters of Riverside; the YWCA of Riverside County; Inlandia Institute; Habitat for Humanity, Riverside; and the Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center.  She is currently on the boards of the Riverside Chapter of AARP; Altura Credit Union; Friends of the Riverside Public Library; and the Riverside Branch of the American Association of University Women. Barbara has also been appointed to serve on the Riverside County Assessment Appeals Board No. 2, where she currently serves as Chair. While growing up in Riverside, she was a regular patron of the Arlington Branch Library.

Georgia Renne
As a native Riversider the city libraries played an important role in my life. I remember as a Ramona High School senior I visited the old Downtown Carnegie Library to find books, magazines, and microfiche to research city history for a US Government class report. My mom drove the Bookmobile and was the Children’s Librarian for the Marcy Branch. As a UCR student I loved watching the changes taking place in the Rivera Library and weekly used its resources even after my graduation. My secondary teaching credential earned at UCR in English certified me to teach at both Sierra Junior High and Poly High Schools. Later I would become a Counselor and Assistant Principal at John W. North High School prior to taking on the principal role at Chemawa Middle School. Interestingly I remembered visiting Chemawa as a child when my aunts participated in music performances. Chemawa Junior High was the Alma Mater of my mother and uncle, too. After accepting an Assistant Superintendent position in Visalia, I enjoyed how much that smaller city with its agriculture reminded me of the Riverside where I grew up. After doing an early retirement there, I returned to my hometown and family to spend many years working as an educational consultant helping schools and districts in difficulty, often teaming with Riverside County Office of Education. I spend my current retirement life supporting Riverside Public Library Foundation along with other nonprofits, UCCE Riverside Master Gardeners, UCR Botanic Gardens, and Pencils and Dreams for Tanzanian Schools, in addition to gardening and, of course, reading!