Cowgirl: Lisa Wells, Moore Public Library

Lisa Wells is a rancher as well as the manager of the Moore Public Library, which gives her a reputation among community leaders for hardheaded practicality. So does her service as president of the rotary and her use of her Executive Leadership Institute fellowship to develop services for local businesses. Moore city manager Steve Eddy says Wells turned local officials into strong library advocates.

Within months of being hired, Wells convinced city leaders to fund both a library renovation and the branch's adoption of RFID as a pilot for the system. She says city officials joke that “if it costs money, it's one of Lisa's ideas!” But she made that investmentpay off: 46,000 of Moore's 50,000 residents have library cards, over 3000 students participate in summer reading programs, and more than 700 people take part in library literacy programs. Wells partnered with a local Baptist college to provide math and science tutoring and with arts agencies to provide summer concerts.

Nominator Anne Masters says of Wells, she is “as much at home in the boardroom or the office of a legislator as she is in the library or on the ranch.” No matter where she is, Lisa Wells aims to make the library part of people's lives, and she's succeeding.