Cathy Laird, the branch supervisor for Manatee County's busiest library and a longtime employee of the public library system, has been named Manatee County's 2018 Employee of the Year. Laird oversees a staff of nine librarians and numerous volunteers at Braden River Library where as many as 700 patrons visit each day. She's been described as "an excellent instructor" who helps patrons with computer problems and often serves as a staff trainer. In the 19 years with the library system, she has earned the respect and admiration of her coworkers, supervisors, staff from other departments, and the library patrons. When Laird joined the Manatee County Public Library, she brought with her years of experience as a supervisor. children's librarian, cataloger and adult services librarian. In her years as branch supervisor, she honed those skills and developed leadership abilities, and was chosen to attend the prestigious Florida Sunshine State Library Leadership Institute in 2012.

Manatee County Public Library System