Altadena Library Director Asked to Join Statewide Board After Leading Fire Recovery

A year after the Eaton Fire tore through Altadena, the library director who kept her doors open—and her community connected—has been appointed to a statewide leadership post.

Nikki Winslow, who has led the Altadena Library District since 2019, is now serving on the California Special Districts Association’s 18-member Board of Directors, representing the Southern Network. She and the board convened their first meeting of 2026 on Thursday, according to an announcement from CSDA.

The appointment comes just days after the one-year anniversary of the January 7, 2025, fire that destroyed more than 9,000 structures in Altadena. Winslow’s library emerged from that disaster as a lifeline: the Main Library reopened March 4, 2025—less than two months after the fire—serving not only as a place to borrow books but as a hub for federal assistance, recovery resources, and community connection.

“Special districts truly are special, not just because of who they are—local service specialists—but because of what they mean to the communities they serve,” Winslow said in a statement. “In Altadena, our library district is a hub for our community and, in many ways, CSDA plays a similar role for local leaders around the state coming together to learn how to better serve their communities.”

Winslow also helped form the Special Districts Association of San Gabriel Valley, a regional chapter where she serves as Vice-President, according to CSDA.

Joining Winslow as new directors on the CSDA Board are Kevin Phillips, General Manager of Paradise Irrigation District, representing the Northern Network, and Steve Palmer, General Manager of Donner Summit Public Utility District, representing the Sierra Network.

CSDA represents more than 1,000 special districts that deliver essential services—including irrigation, water, fire protection, parks, cemeteries, and libraries—to nearly all of California’s 39 million residents. The association, a 501(c)(6) nonprofit formed in 1969, is governed by three directors from each of six geographic networks statewide.

The organization’s Executive Committee for 2026 includes Board President Lorenzo Rios, CEO of Clovis Veterans Memorial District; Vice-President Pete Kampa, General Manager of Groveland Community Services District; Treasurer Antonio Martinez, Board Member of Contra Costa Water District; Secretary Don Bartz, General Manager of Phelan Pinon Hills Community Services District; and Past President Elaine Magner, Board Member of Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District.

Winslow, who previously served as Assistant Director for the Glendale Library, Arts & Culture Department before joining Altadena, holds a master’s degree in library and information science from the University of North Texas. She has more than two decades of experience in public service.

The Altadena Main Library, a mid-century modern building at 600 E. Mariposa Street, survived the Eaton Fire with minimal damage. During the aftermath, Winslow partnered with LA County Library and the Altadena Library Foundation to distribute Wi-Fi hotspots to displaced residents who lost internet access when their homes burned.