Unraveling Legacy Toxicity: Navigating Dysfunctional Environments in Leadership
Legacy toxicity poses a formidable challenge for individuals stepping into leadership roles within toxic organizations or groups. This phenomenon entails inheriting a dysfunctional environment characterized by abuse, neglect, and resistance to change from previous incumbents. Addressing legacy toxicity requires a nuanced understanding of its roots and dynamics, as well as strategic approaches to mitigate its effects. In this discussion panel, we delve into the complexities of legacy toxicity, exploring its manifestations, impact on leadership effectiveness, and strategies for fostering positive change in challenging environments.
About the panelistsÂ
Kat LeFevre (she/her) is the manager of the Jefferson County Public Library’s Patron Experience: Experience Design and the Lakewood Library. She oversees that patron experience to ensure every location is welcoming for all. In her 17-year library career she’s been a volunteer, substitute, Bookmobile driver, Outreach Librarian, Assistant Manager, Patron Experience Supervisor, and now Manager. These roles have given her a wide breadth of experience with different populations and staff groups which inform her current work.
Sharon L. Sherman received her PhD in Educational Leadership at the University-of Colorado Denver, having completed her dissertation study in Jefferson County Schools. She has taught at the University of Northern Colorado (Lowry campus) and served as education director with
Keshet of the Rockies in Denver. Dr. Sherman has also taught at two charter schools with DPS. She started at the Belmar branch of Jefferson County Public Library in December 2021 as a bilingual patron associate and enjoys leading story times in both English and Spanish as well as co-leading the adult Spanish language conversation group, Intercambio. Sherman is also active in the formation of JCPL’s workers union, presently serving on the 2024 bargaining
team to obtain the union’s first contract.
Nina McHale is Associate Dean for Student & Scholar Services at the University of Denver University Libraries. Prior to this role at DU, she was head of Education & Research at the University of Colorado Anschutz Strauss Health Sciences Library and Director of Library Services at Red Rocks Community College. Her research interests include organizational communication, web content development and management, and marketing library services and resources.
Marcus Elmore is the Colorado Community College System’s Access Services Librarian, in charge of maintaining the online resources for 13 college libraries. He came to librarianship after earning his PhD in English literature and is deeply invested in the role and function of libraries in higher education. In addition to this, he earned a MSW from the University of Denver in 2018 and is passionate about mental health and community building.
Hannah-Renea Niederberger (they/them) is a Library Technician at the University of Denver Libraries. They are currently earning their MLIS at the University of Denver and hope to someday work in video game librarianship or video game preservation. They have been working in technical services for two years as the print approval technician, though before working at the university they drove the bookmobile at Arapahoe Library District. In their seven years of library experience, they have worked both in technical service roles and patron-facing roles, in both academic and public libraries.