The Jefferson County Library System has a new Finance and Human Resources Manager: Lindsay Winkler.
She replaced Debby Byron, a former assistant director of business and finance, who retired in October after 31 years with the library system.
Winkler, 42, of Imperial, who works at the Central Services office at 5678 Hwy. PP in High Ridge, officially took on her new role in October but has been hired in January and has been training under Byron for the past few months.
Winkler said she enjoys the job so far and is grateful for the opportunity to be of service to her community.
“I love the challenge every day and I love making an impact in the community because serving my community is something that is important to me,” she said.
Winkler claimed to oversee the finances of all three Library branches: the Arnold branch, the Northwest High Ridge branch, and the Windsor branch in Barnhart.
He said his primary duties include reviewing accounts payable and receivables, viewing purchases and invoices, supervising the accounting staff, managing human resources, and conducting periodic reviews of library investments looking for opportunities financial.
“It’s certainly a challenge,” he said. “Debby has been doing this for more than 30 years and she’s done a wonderful, wonderful job. She left me with some pretty big shoes to fill.
Tony Benningfield, director of the library system, said Winkler is excelling at her new job.
“Lindsay has been doing really well here since she started onboarding earlier this year,” she said. “She IS perfect and she is doing exceptionally well. Debby has made a huge impact on the Library District during her 31-year career. It is one of the main reasons the library is financially stable and secure after many lean years. She will be missed, but we are in very good hands looking to the future”.
Winkler said working for the Library still feels new, but she’s no stranger to the world of finance or managing an office, having been in the field for nearly 20 years.
She said she spent her early years in Perryville before her family moved to High Ridge in 1987. Winkler graduated from Northwest High School in 1999 and attended Webster University. After graduating from Business Management in 2003, she was employed by Ginger Bay Salon and Spa in Kirkwood as an Administrative Assistant. Subsequently, she was promoted to executive assistant to the CEO. She did it for about two years before moving on.
“I got interested in finance thanks to my father,” she said. “He was an entrepreneur who ran his own business, and that was an influence. Looking back on my career, I knew I didn’t want to be an entrepreneur myself, but I did want to help run a business.”
His parents, Bill and Pam Richardet of High Ridge, own Bi-State Landscape Supply, 3112 Pleasant View Drive, High Ridge, and Winkler worked for them 16 years as a corporate general manager.
During that time, she also met and married her husband, Adam, 43, a fire technician. Together they have two children: a daughter, Raegan, 13, and a son, Keegan, 10.
Winkler said spending time with her husband and children is important to her.
“We like to have family game nights. We love to travel. We like to watch movies and participate in children’s sporting events. We just love spending time with family,” she said.
Winkler said she and her children are great readers and have enjoyed being involved with Jefferson County Library.
“I’ve always been a strong supporter of our libraries and use them regularly for myself and my children,” she said.
Winkler will also be involved in the operation of the satellite branch in Cedar Hill which the Library plans to open.
Benningfield said an exact opening date has not yet been set, but he hopes to see it operational this month or in early January.