Kelowna, BC – 18 February 2026 — The Board of Trustees of the Okanagan Regional Library (the ORL) convened for its Annual General Meeting and Regular Board Meeting on 18 February 2026, electing its 2026 Board leadership and approving key governance initiatives that support responsible innovation and organizational accountability.
At the Annual General Meeting, trustees elected the following members to Board leadership positions for 2026:
- Board Chair: Tasha Da Silva, West Kelowna
- Vice Chair: Kari Gares, Vernon
- Finance Committee Chair: Kari Gares, Vernon
- Personnel Committee Chair: Lori Mindnich, Lumby
- Policy and Planning Committee Chair: Adrienne Fedrigo, RDOS
All nominees presented by the Nominations Committee were elected.
During the Regular Board Meeting, trustees approved a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy for the ORL. The policy establishes guiding principles for the responsible, ethical, and transparent use of AI technologies across the organization. It provides a flexible framework that supports innovation while ensuring compliance with privacy legislation, records management standards, and other statutory obligations.
The Board also approved an official Land Acknowledgement statement and a supporting policy outlining its appropriate use. The acknowledgement affirms the ORL’s presence on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the many First Nations communities across the region.
Trustees received the CEO’s quarterly operational report and the CFO’s financial update to 31 December 2025. The ORL concluded 2025 in good financial standing. Looking ahead, trustees noted that the 2026 budgeting process will require careful planning due to major capital projects, including the Glenmore and Parkinson branch builds.
About the Okanagan Regional Library
The Okanagan Regional Library is one of the largest library systems in Canada, providing service across four regional districts. The library enriches lives through diverse collections, responsive services, innovative programs, and unique resources. With the community’s incredible support, ORL branches become transformative spaces of learning, creativity, culture, and connection.
