2003-04 Chapter Professional Achievement Award:
Karin Zilla

Next time you enjoy a dinner meeting or a professional development workshop, check the Jobline or chapter website or read the Bayline, take a moment to consider all the planning and effort that come together transparently to make these services work for you.

This year, the Awards Committee is pleased to honor Karin Zilla with the 2004 San Francisco Bay Region Chapter Award for Professional Achievement, for both her leadership and frequent behind the scenes work for the Chapter as well as for our profession.

Although Karin declines the spotlight of "Leadership Positions", she has continually demonstrated behind the scenes commitment to the Chapter and unwavering support of our numerous committees. She has served on the Executive Board and as chair and member of several committees including Fundraising and Hospitality. She is first to step forward to facilitate special projects and events, including the California Reception at the 2002 SLA Conference, the special Phil Bronstein event in May 2003 and the May 2000 outing at SBC (then Pacific Bell) Park. Karin also co-edited Position Descriptions in Special Libraries with Del Sweeney published by SLA in 1992 and revised in 1996.

"Over the years, Karin has achieved distinction within our profession," notes the Awards Committee. Karin’s typical comment at planning meetings is "What do you need to get done?" and then, she goes out and gets it done in fine fashion! When Karin accepts an assignment one can rest assured that it will be completed with skill and grace.

Karin is currently a recruiter and placement specialist for Certified Employment Services, working with information technology staff, librarians and library support staff, records managers and records department staff. She has a MSIS in library and information management from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. She has worked in libraries at the Mitre Corporation and Martin Marietta, as well as with OCLC in the Local Systems Division. Karin was an active member of the SLA DC Chapter, serving on Programming, Hospitality and their Anniversary Committees.

In 1996, Karin relocated to the Bay Area and immediately became involved with the SF Bay Region Chapter. She worked at Pacific Bell Communications, and the Pacific Bell Yellow Pages Company, andin 1998, she joined Certified Employment Group. She continues to love putting people and jobs together.

Karin’s professional activities extend beyond the SLA, as she also serves on the Board of the Mt. Diablo Chapter of the Association of Records Managers (ARMA) and on the Advisory Committee of the Northern California Association of Law Librarians (NOCALL). She is often called upon to speak on recruiting, resume writing, interviewing and job search for local workshops and seminars run by or for all of those organizations.

Karin enjoys an active life outside the professional arena: She is Mom to four wonderful children and Granny to one. She is a delightful hostess and talented chef (her grill skills are incredible!), an avid gardener and special Person to a very sweet dog named Lucy. She enjoys movies and theater and travel. Karin shares a love of baseball and is a former Baltimore Orioles fan who now cheers for Oakland’s Green and Gold. (There is a football affiliation in there somewhere, too…Patriots, no doubt!)

It is a privilege to share this news with our Chapter and I am honored to call Karin my colleague as well as my dear and cherished friend.

Congratulations, Karin, and thank you for all your hard work.