Mr. MJ Rodney currently serves as the Principal of Providence Middle School in Chesterfield County, Virginia. He has previously served as an associate and assistant principal, SOL coach, social studies, and CTE teacher. MJ is in his third year as a student in VCU's Doctorate of Educational Leadership program. When not supporting his school or writing a dissertation, MJ enjoys volunteering at the YMCA as a youth coach and at his church in various education and youth ministry roles.

Opened in 2009, River Bend Elementary library in the Shenandoah region has grown with the school population, and has navigated to meet the diverse needs of RBES learners and rural community. Margaret L. Alger, a native of Rockingham County, has been the librarian throughout the years. She was assisted by Martha Taylor: a former middle school librarian who served as the part time clerk and recently retired.

Innovation and flexibility is the key to this exemplary program. River Bend began a mobile summer library in its early years. RBES Books Express continues to travel to various neighborhoods within its service area each summer. River Bend library was also the only library pilot program leading through digital conversion. This library program is fortunate to collaborate with the nearby high school and technology instructional staff for special programs that scaffold student learning as well. The past four years Ms. Alger has woven social emotional materials and open play focus in lesson implementation to serve students' needs more acutely. All around, this program is boosted by tremendous support from a knowledgeable administrative team and phenomenal RBES staff all fifteen years!

From the River Bend principal, Ms. Blair Harper, "Students love going to the library and have many options to choose from.  They respect the library and appreciate what they can do in the space and with the materials. Ms. Alger has truly created an environment where students love to come to learn and explore."

From classroom teacher Ms. Cathy Davis: "River Bend’s program stands out for its unwavering commitment to accessibility, innovation, and community engagement. From its comprehensive collection of resources to its diverse programming catering to all age groups and interests, River Bend truly embodies the essence of what a modern library should be."

Margaret taught 2nd-5th grades for 30 years before transitioning into the library. She earned her library certification from Longwood University. She was an elementary librarian for 5 years before retiring as a public school educator, followed by 7 part-time years as a mentor for her previous school system. Margaret was her school’s 2005 Teacher of the Year, former VAASL Shenandoah Regional Director, and VAASL Shenandoah Regional Librarian of the Year in 2009. Margaret served under 13 VEMA/VAASL presidents and truly gave VAASL so very much! Thank you, Margaret, for serving VAASL so well for so long!! 

Beth Price is a long-time resident of Nelson County. After graduating with a BA from Longwood University in 2003, she dedicated two decades to teaching middle school math. She has now embarked on a journey fueled by her love of literature and reading. In October 2023, Beth began her pursuit of a Master’s Degree in Library Science at East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma, which is slated for completion in December 2024.Throughout her teaching tenure, Beth has assumed numerous leadership roles, honing skills that will seamlessly transition into her new role as a school librarian in August 2024. Her established connections with faculty, staff, and students will be invaluable assets as she fosters a culture of diverse reading interests within the library community. Beth is married and has four children. Along with reading, Beth loves spending time sewing, baking and taking care of her grandson.

Kristi Patton is a lifetime member of the Virginia Association of School Librarians and has been active in enhancing the organization. She has presented at several annual conferences with sessions titled, “May the forms be with you!”, “Book Tasting for High School: Sunny Cafe Edition,” and “Upcycle Your LMC Orientation.”  Kristi is a Library Media Specialist at Salem High School in Virginia Beach. She graduated from Old  Dominion University and has been a librarian in Virginia for 19 years. She plans to attend the 2025 AASL Conference in St. Louis with support from the Rutherford Award.

Lucas Cook, Tara Perez, Alexandra Fuentes, Christopher Scaptura, and Joni Smith make up the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Steam Team. In Fairfax County Public Schools, STEAM and Computer Science are important for all students. The FCPS STEAM and CS team partners with librarians to build innovative learning environments that provide hands-on, student-driven, iterative STEAM and CS projects. FCPS librarians serve the entire school community and are an ideal partner to engage students in inquiry-based instructional models. STEAM and CS support learning across content areas, 21st century (Portrait of a Graduate) skills, academic rigor, social emotional learning, and prepare students for future success.