This month, we present Lou Wassel: Board Member, car aficionado, TPL lover! Read all about Lou here!
What is your role with the Friends? List all jobs that you perform for the FTPL and for how long you’ve been associated with the same.
I am a Lifetime Member of the FTPL. In 2015, I became a Board Member – At Large. I currently serve on the Finance Committee, the Nominating Committee, and the Social Media Committee.
Briefly describe who you are – married, single, family, kids, interests, etc.
I am married and the father of four adult children. I also have one grandson, one dog, and two cats. As for my favorite local hangouts, they include the Troy Community Center, the Troy Public Library (especially the Friends Bookshop), and the Dream Cruise or local car cruise venues when in season.
What is your educational and/or professional background?
Currently, I am an independent consultant for Talent & Organizational Management. Prior to this, I was the VP for Phoenix Technical Services, a Comptroller at the General Motors Technical Center, a Manager in Marketing and Product Planning for General Motors, Pontiac Motor Division.
I hold a BS in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from Wayne State University, and an MBA from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.
What makes you passionate about the library and/or the Friends?
The FTPL is one of the best managed non-profits anywhere, and I wanted to contribute to its success.
What are your favorite types of books/materials to read?
Detroit and Michigan History, Business, Biography. I tend not to read fiction except for an occasional selection from the Western canon.
Who is your favorite author?
David Halberstam and /or Doris Kearns Goodwin
What is your favorite book?
The Origins of the Urban Crisis: Race and Inequality in Postwar Detroit by Thomas Sugrue and The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century by Thomas Friedman
Where do you see/hope to see the Friends in five years?
In a brand new library building with a large first floor Bookshop.
What is the most valuable thing TPL offers the community?
Access to knowledge.