Alex Weinberg (he/him/his)
3/1/23 - 2/28/26 (First Term)

Alex Weinberg is a graduate student at UC Berkeley, where he is studying Real Estate and Finance with an emphasis on socially responsible urban development. In his personal life, he enjoys exploring the Oakland hills and engaging with the public spaces and cultural institutions that make the East Bay special. Alex has lived in the Bay Area since 2018 and his local library branch is Rockridge.

Anand Patel (he/him/his)
(First Term)

Anand Patel's academic journey began at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Economics. His passion for the hospitality industry led him to pursue a Master of Science in Hospitality & Tourism Management at the University of Central Florida.
For over a decade, Anand has proudly called Oakland his home. His dedication to the community is evident through his service on the Board of Directors for Visit Oakland. In this role, he advised on policy decisions and provided oversight on budgets for the city’s destination marketing organization, ensuring that Oakland’s vibrant culture and attractions were effectively promoted.

Outside of his professional commitments, Anand cherishes time with his family, often exploring the beautiful parks scattered throughout the East Bay. His love for the community extends to coaching a youth baseball team in Oakland's Little League, where he instills the values of teamwork and sportsmanship in young athletes. A favorite family spot is the Montclair Branch, where his children delight in the adventures found within the kids' library.

Brittany Rae Buckmire (she/her/hers)
6/24/22 - 6/23/25 (First Term)

Brittany Rae Buckmire is a proud resident of District 3 since 2015 and is excited to serve in her first term on the commission. A lifelong lover of books and libraries, she is also an acting Chair Member of the Friends of Hoover Durant Public Library (FOHDPL) and a member of the Hoover Foster Residence Action Council. Brittany Rae is a Philadelphia native and graduated from Philadelphia University in 2015 with a BA in Fashion Industry Management. Professionally, she works in the fashion/retail industry and personally, she enjoys dance, karaoke, exploring the outdoors and time with loved ones. 

Carolyn Jones (she/her/hers)
(First Term)

Carolyn Jones is a longtime resident of Oakland and an avid library supporter. She’s a co-block captain in Maxwell Park, volunteers in Oakland Unified and does regular street clean-up. She has a bachelor’s degree in English from UC Berkeley and two children.

Chiye Azuma (she/her/hers)
3/1/23 - 2/28/26 (First Term)

Chiye Azuma, ASLA, grew up in New York and Japan but has called Oakland her home for the last 28 years. Prior to retiring in late 2020, she served as project manager in facilities design and construction with several different public agencies in the Bay Area. In her last job, she was the Green Schoolyard Program Manager for the San Francisco Unified School District’s Bond Program. A longtime resident of East Oakland, Chiye continues to volunteer with the Elmhurst Branch Library, an association that's allowed her to give back and stay involved with her local community.

Chiye graduated from Brown University with an AB in Independent Studies/Sociolinguistics, and UCLA, where she studied landscape architecture. Her first library card was from the Briarwood Branch of the Queens Public Library in New York.

Cristina Tostado (she/her/hers)
10/5/23 - 10/4/26 (Second Term)

Cristina Tostado aka "Tina from the Town," was born and raised in East Oakland. Currently lives in District 3.

She enjoys giving back to her hometown by serving as an Oakland Library Commissioner. She is a Mentor for Life Goes On teen leadership program. Where we are trying to end senseless gun violence. She is one of Reading Partners Young Professionals Board Members. She also serves on the Oakland Education Fund Advisory Board.

Cristina Tostado was a former Board Member of the Oakland Latino Chamber of Commerce and former Volunteer Liaison for Mayor Libby Schaaf.

She earned her Associates of Arts degree in Liberal Arts from Chabot College and her Bachelor's degree in Communications, option in Advertising from Cal State East Bay.

On her personal time, she loves traveling, sports, food, comedy shows and spending time with friends and family.

Gabrielle Sloane Law (they/them/theirs)
9/14/23 - 9/13/26 (First Term)

Gabrielle Sloane Law has been a resident of District 7 since 2015. They are active in many local groups and projects, including Communities for a Better Environment, Oakland's Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Temple Sinai's Climate Justice Steering Committee, and the East Oakland AB617 Community Steering Committee to develop a Community Emissions Reduction Plan.

Gabrielle has a B.S. in Mathematics from the Evergreen State College. They enjoy spending time with their family, reading and writing science fiction, hiking, camping, gardening, and foraging for wild edible foods.

Commissioner information coming soon!

Justus Samuels (he/him/his)
11/14/24-11/13/27 (1st term)

Justus Samuels was born in Cuba and immigrated to the United States as a child. After living in New York briefly, he moved to Oakland in 1960. Justus attended primary and secondary schools in Oakland and has remained since. He has a love for music, especially Afro-Cuban music, and the performing arts. Justus describes himself as always having a heart, mind, and soul to learn!

Karen Roye (she/her/hers)
11/14/22 - 11/13/25 (Second Term)

Karen Roye is a 30-year Oakland resident of Oakland. She has dedicated her life to public service and advancing the voice and needs of marginalized communities. It is her life's calling.

In her chosen profession, she continues to serve as the director of the San Francisco Department of Child Support Services for almost 20 years, managing operations, budget and finance, statewide legislation, and community outreach. She has also dedicated much of her personal time to volunteerism.

She believes the Oakland Public Library System is a beacon of hope, opportunity, and safety for Oakland's neighborhoods. It serves as a place of community that combats the loneliness and isolation that disenfranchised people experience, a respite for the unhoused people and a place to start a job search, and most importantly, it serves as a place to dream big dreams, learn new skills, and find one’s voice and read, read, read!

Karen Zukor (she/her)
3/1/23 - 2/28/26 (First Term)

Karen Zukor has been a resident of Oakland for over 40 years and a business owner in West Oakland for just as long. She is an art conservator, specializing in works on paper, books, and manuscripts, and offers both conservation and preservation treatments. She and her staff not only repair damaged items but provide information in extending the life of an object.  Karen has trained many conservation interns for over thirty years, and lectures widely to the general public.

Mary Cain-Simon (she/her/hers)
11/13/24-11/12/27 (First term)

Mary Cain-Simon is a lifelong resident of California, who attended California public schools beginning with kindergarten, through Community College, UCLA, and UC Law School of San Francisco. Mary practiced law for 40 years, the last 25 with the California Department of Justice, where she practiced employment and administrative law and served as a supervising attorney. For the past 25 years, Mary has lived and raised a family in Oakland.

Mary served as a secretary and president of the parent and teacher association at Oakland School for the Arts, and vice president then co-president of Women Lawyers of Alameda County. Growing up in Fontana, California, Mary explored the world via the public library, where the kind and professional librarians pulled back the curtain on a wide expanse of places and people far beyond the city limits. Mary believes in the mission of the public libraries and is passionate about preserving and supporting them as they continue to open the world of possibilities to the people of Oakland.

Zacharias George (he/him/his)
8/19/24-8/18/27 (First Term)

Zach is an avid book reader who believes the magic of books and other media of shared knowledge should be disseminated so everyone can benefit from the imagination, lived experiences, and accumulated knowledge of others wiser than themselves.

Zach has spent years working on various types of problems in different industries and is looking to bring his skills and talents to the Oakland Libraries!