By Ken Stern 

Jared Fair now ex-director of La Conner Library

 

August 31, 2022



Jared Fair is no longer the director of the La Conner Regional Library. His employer, the Library board of directors, announced Fair’s departure Friday, Aug. 26.

Hired in early 2020 with the mission to build and open La Conner’s new library building, Fair will not be finishing the job he started. His last day was Aug. 25.

While board members Jean Markert and Jim Airy asked to meet with the Weekly News, they provided few details beyond a short written public statement. Airy said “No comment. People can speculate” and repeatedly replied no comment to questions. Asked if the board had its way would Fair be at his job Monday, Airy said, “If the board had its way he would not. This is obvious: the board had its way. I really don’t want to comment on the reason for it.”

He would not discuss whether the decision was mutual, saying, “we want to keep this private.”

The library board’s complete public statement:

“The Library announces the departure of Jared Fair as Library director. Jean Markert has stepped down from the board of trustees to assume the role of interim director. We thank Jared for his service and wish him well in his future endeavors. In accordance with its personnel policy, the Library will have no further comment on this matter.”

Airy noted, “I know this is a standard phrase but it is true: We thank him for his service. He worked hard. He was conscientious. He is very personable. He knows how a library works. We wish him the best.”

Airy would not say if the Library board was paying Fair severance. He said the library will not contest Fair applying for unemployment. Fair may qualify for unemployment benefits if he was “fired through no fault of your own, such as not having the skills to do the job” the state’s Employment Security Department’s website states.

Asked for the personnel policy, Airy replied, “It’s a practiced policy, not a written policy.”

Airy did say that he and Markert, at least, met with Fair Thursday at 6 p.m. for a scheduled meeting and that “Fair knew the topic of the meeting generally.” He emphasized “I don’t want you to think we blindsided him,” repeating “blindsided.” He also said, “We would like to come out of this where it’s not a blame game.”

The pair met with Fair again late Friday afternoon, probably for over an hour, as their cars were parked by both library buildings past 6 p.m.

Coincidentally, Fair came to the Weekly News office 4:30 p.m. Thursday to renew three subscriptions for the library. In a casual conversation, he was upbeat, reviewing some of the many large difficulties faced in the two-and-half years since the start of the coronavirus pandemic and his tenure in La Conner. Without the pro bono assistance provided by design firm BuildingWork and other vendors, the new library would not have been built, he noted. That generosity alone allowed the library to see the building project through to completion, he said. It did not appear to staff that Fair was 90 minutes away from leaving, or losing, his job.

Friday evening Fair declined to comment on anything in a phone call.

Katryna Barber, library youth specialist, declined to comment Friday evening, also, though she did say she was surprised. She said she was cooperating with the people for whom she works, which is the board and Markert as the interim director, and, “I have been instructed not to say anything except what Jean and Jim have said.”

Fair started in La Conner in April 2020. He came from Yakima Valley Libraries, where he was the manager of 14 libraries. He was one of six candidates interviewed for the position.

The library board of directors relieved Joy Neal of her duties without notice in November 2019. She had a yearly contract and negotiated December’s pay and all her leave and vacation time as her severance, she said in a phone call Monday.

 

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