West Oakland Library Friends

Alexandria “AP” Pierce

President

Alexandria is a member of the West Oakland community, where her family has lived for almost a century. Alexandria’s community work centers on policy and advocacy, maternal health and reproductive justice, food access and justice, civic engagement, and culturally relevant education. She started the A Taste of West program in partnership with Mandela Partners to address food insecurity, access, and education. Inspired by the Black Panther Party’s food programs, the initiative promotes communal care and food justice.

Alexandria is the Chief Alchemist of Alchemy Oil, an all-natural hair oil company redefining what “good hair” is. At Alchemy Oil, “good hair” is healthy hair!

She brings 13+ years of leadership experience across retail, e-commerce, startups, and aerospace tech, with a focus on HR policy development, employee relations, talent acquisition, program and project coordination, and operations.

She earned her BA in English and Human Resources Certification from California State University, East Bay; an MA in Multicultural Women’s and Gender Studies from Texas Woman’s University; and is currently in the second year of her PhD in Philosophy and Religion at the California Institute of Integral Studies.

Alexandria loves to cook, garden, read, go to museums, and collect Funko Pops.

Monica Arceneaux

Vice President

Monica, a proud Oakland native, has deep community roots that shaped her. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Southern University and has spent over a decade serving as a Registered Nurse at the Children’s Hospital of Oakland, where she is known for her compassion, dedication, and unwavering commitment to her patients and their families.

Beyond her work in healthcare, Monica is passionate about giving back—actively supporting and uplifting the Oakland community she calls home. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time in the outdoors, with a love for camping, hiking, and snowboarding.

A fun fact about Monica is that she is the only girl among five brothers, a dynamic that helped shape her strong and grounded personality.

Gurdeep Sullan

Secretary

Gurdeep has spent the past two years volunteering at the West Oakland Library as a community gardener and computer tutor. Originally from Sacramento, she earned her bachelor’s degree from UC Davis and her master’s from Stanford. She brings a strong passion for technology and education to her volunteer work, along with a deep commitment to gardening and food security. She knows firsthand the incredible impact public resources have on a neighborhood, and she is thrilled to join WOLF to help the library continue to thrive.

When she isn’t working or volunteering, Gurdeep enjoys making pottery, exploring Oakland’s restaurant scene, and walking around Lake Merritt with her dog, Maya, and her latest audiobook. Always eager to learn something new, she is currently taking ballet classes for the first time.

Andrea Mortley

Treasurer

Born and raised in Los Angeles, I moved cross-country to earn my undergraduate degree from the University of Miami (FL). My commitment to service began early—I became active in student government in middle school and remained involved through high school and college. In my early 20s, I spent several years volunteering with a sexual assault hotline, which was challenging but tremendously rewarding. Since then, I’ve built my career in hospital administration with a focus on medical education and stayed involved with nonprofit dog rescues.

As someone who can’t leave a bookstore empty-handed and loves the smell of an old book, I’m thrilled to now support WOLF after settling in the East Bay. Books have always been my favorite escape, and I love being part of a community that keeps that magic accessible to everyone.

Outside of reading “just one more chapter,” you’ll usually find me spending time with my partner browsing vintage shops, collecting vinyls, and catching up on anime. I’m also excited to experiment with manual photography after years of capturing candid moments of friends, family, and pets on my cell phone. It’s never too late to try something new!

Marlene Couvson

Board Member

Welcome to learning about who I am.

My name is Marlene Couvson, and I was born in San Francisco. I was born in October and currently live in Oakland, the place I’ve called my second home since my mid-teens. I graduated from Fremont High and attended College of Alameda and San Francisco State University, studying Fashion Arts.

I have two wonderful, intelligent, handsome, amazing sons! My oldest is Erik, and my youngest is Joseph, who were born here in Oakland. I love to read, watch movies, bake, and cycle. My favorite color is Fushia. I enjoy traveling and learning about the diversity around me.

I am an advocate for education and people who experience social injustices. I hope to return to school to earn a Master’s in…(still deciding). I plan on semi-retiring in 2027.

I have been a patron of the West Oakland Library since 1992. I look forward to supporting the West Oakland Library and its community for years to come. I want to say “thank you” and “I appreciate everyone” who has made the West Oakland Library a special place for so many! Love

each of you very much.

Lo Hudson

Board Member

Lo Hudson is the founder of Programmers Guild, Oakland’s 1st Tech Guild. Lo is a Sr. Software Engineer who has dedicated his later career to paying it forward by teaching junior developers to build their careers one line of code at a time.

Lo’s sole goal is to ensure that the disenfranchised, underrepresented, and those left behind by technology have a fair opportunity to participate in the future of technology.

He provides access to technology, mentors, and professional training.

Tenisha Jones

Board Member

Tenisha Jones is a digital librarian with deep roots in production who currently lives in West Oakland.

Having worked as both a documentary film and news editor/media manager for local and national television stations and news networks, she decided to transfer her technical skills to librarianship, focusing on information organization and digital services. She now works as a systems librarian for Kaiser Permanente, managing the platform that provides access to both print and electronic resources. Bringing these two worlds together, film and digital librarianship, puts her in a unique position to contribute both creative and analytical skills to a team.

She has written and co-authored documentation for the entertainment and library organizations she has worked with in the past and present, and served as a researcher on the 2017 Oakland film, Evolutionary Blues…West Oakland’s Music Legacy. She enjoys the deep-dive search adventures that come from looking for information on a particular topic, person, image, sound, or document, and strives to work on projects that highlight and document themes of justice/injustice, remembrance, struggle/healing, and transformation.

In her spare time, she’s an avid reader and watcher of anything fantasy, sci-fi, horror, magic realism, or other speculative fiction.

Janae Quarles

Board Member

Hi, my name is Janae. My pronouns are they/them. I consider myself to be a lifelong library lover. I’m passionate about supporting the West Oakland Branch, not just as a historic site, but as a safe haven for the community today. In my spare time, I’m a law student and a parent to two tuxedo cats. I hope to see you at the West Oakland Branch. Next time you see me, ask me what I’m reading!

Henry Raulston

Board Member

Community elder and an original WOLF member.

Justus Samuels

Library Commisioner

I am almost a 7-decade resident of Oakland, CA. I was born in Havana, Cuba, immigrated to New York City for some years, then moved to Oakland, CA, in the summer of 1960!

My first and fondest moments of the Oakland Library were having hot chocolate and cruising the Main Branch’s Children’s section. My favorite part of the library, and probably always will be, was the music manuscript section! Music aficionado, I am!

I am also one of the founding members of the West Oakland Library Friends! The West Oakland Library helped me to complete my work in Biblical Studies: Faith-Based Beliefs. Thank you to the staff at the West Oakland Branch for giving me more computer time to complete my assignments!

Being that my church home is directly across the street from the West Oakland Library, we became neighbors and friends! We like to call this area “Friendship Corner.”

After a few years as a Friend (WOLF), I was elected Oakland Public Library Commissioner. I’m in my second year in office and look forward to continuing to meet with everyone and bring us together to spread the word about the great work happening here at the West Oakland Library!

Praying for continued growth and collaboration with our current and future partners and friends!