Star Award Nominations and Winners

2025-26 Award Nominations

The Star Awards recognize exceptional contributions made by library employees in Northeast Ohio, enriching both the libraries and the communities they serve.

Award categories include:

Rising Star - Less than 5 years of service.
Shooting Star - 5 - 20 Years of service.
Super Star - More than 20 years of service.

Nominations are open! Complete the nomination form no later than June 30th.

Winners will be selected by a panel comprised of representatives from the NEO-RLS membership, board, and the State Library of Ohio. Join us at the 2026 annual Open House for the presentation of awards. Please reach out to ragan.snead@neo-rls.org if you have questions or need further information.

2024-2025 Award Winners

NEO-RLS thanks all of our 2024-2025 Honorees for their contributions to the libraries of Northeast Ohio and congratulates the 2025 winners of the Rising Star Award, Shooting Star Award, and Super Star Award.

The NEO-RLS Rising Star Award

We are pleased to recognize the winner of the
2025 NEO-RLS Rising Star Award, Michaela Meaney
Adult and Teen Services Assistant, Morley Library

“Michaela Meaney is exceptionally creative, helpful, patient, and resourceful. She joined our Adult and Teen Services team about three years ago and has been a driving factor in our program attendance and outreach numbers coming back after a slump due to the pandemic. She is extremely patient and helpful with patron requests, whether for registering for summer reading, tech help, finding database resources, government documents, and more.”

Congratulations Michaela Meaney, 2025 recipient of the Rising Star Award!

We would also like to recognize the Rising Star Nominees: Rebekah Hire-Santoro, Head of Marketing and Emerging Technology, Huron Public Library; Lisa Keller, Youth Services Manager, Kent Free Library; Adrian Krajnik, Innovation Specialist, Westlake Porter Public Library; Nathan LoVullo, Serial and Electronic Resources Librarian, Ingalls Library, Cleveland Museum of Art; Stefanie Paganini, Librarian I, Mentor Public Library

The NEO-RLS Shooting Star Award

We are pleased to recognize the winner of the
2025 NEO-RLS Shooting Star Award, Dana Tirabassi
Head Youth Services Assistant, Hubbard Public Library

“Dana Tirabassi is a unique, creative, and remarkable individual... She exemplifies what it means to be a library worker in today’s complex, challenging and complicated world. She has the ability to create, innovate and inspire. This is true for the children and families that she works with, and her colleagues. She has a gift for displays that encourage and engage patrons of all ages.”

Congratulations Dana Tirabassi, 2025 recipient of the Shooting Star Award!

We would also like to recognize the Shooting Star nominees: James Bagwell, Circulation Manager, Shaker Library; Marissa Clutter, Teen and Tween Specialist & Adult Programming, Perry Public Library; Michael Davis, Facilities Manager, Kent Free Library; Maria Firkaly, Community Relations Coordinator, Andover Public Library; A'Sarah Green, I.T. Network Manager, East Cleveland Public Library; Kelly Halleen, Supervisor, Brunswick Children, Medina County District Library; Melissa Harrington, Head of Youth Services, Huron Public Library; Kelly Knapp, Head of Circulation Services, Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library; Julie Pugh, Librarian, Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning Valley; Jessica Smith, Youth Services Manager, Shaker Library; Kaitlin Walker, Bookmobile Manager, Twinsburg Public Library

The NEO-RLS Super Star Award

We are pleased to recognize the winner of the
2025 NEO-RLS Super Star Award, Charlene "Charlie" Helsel-Kather
Supervisor, Technical Services/Circulation

“Charlie is a compassionate and caring individual and boss. She supervises a staff, including myself, of seven people, and she is kind, accessible, understanding and ‘there’ for all of us. She is an excellent instructor/teacher, she is always very patient and kind...Truly, she is a remarkable boss, librarian and individual. I have learned so much from her, on behalf of the library and my job, and as a kind, caring individual.”

Congratulations Charlene "Charlie" Helsel-Kather, 2025 recipient of the Super Star Award!

We would also like to recognize the Super Star nominees: Debrah Love-Smith, Public Services Manager, East Cleveland Public Library