About Us

Adam Brooks

Koha Sales Consultant

Adam has an M.L.I.S. and a BA in Psychology from Kent State University. He worked in public libraries for over 15 years, working up from reference to director. He has worked in both rural and major urban libraries. During his library career, he migrated 2 different libraries to Koha, and encouraged several others to do the same. Prior to his career as a librarian, Adam worked jobs ranging from busboy to labor market analyst. In his free time, he enjoys running and triathlons, fishing, camping and the Incredible Hulk.

Andrew Fuerste-Henry

Pipeline Coordinator

Andrew received his MLIS from the University of Iowa and has worked as an adult services librarian and department manager in public libraries in Iowa and Illinois. His library experience runs the gamut from designing and teaching beginners computer classes to organizing Nerf blaster capture the flag games. His introduction to Koha and Bywater was at the Carnegie-Stout Public Library in Dubuque, Iowa, where he helped guide their selection of and migration to a new ILS.

Alyssa Drake

Support

Alyssa began working in libraries as a shelver at her college library in Connecticut but she didn't fall in love with them until she worked at a public library in Oregon. It was there that she really understood the depth and breadth of what a library does for its community. Now, she is proud to work at Bywater where she can support the incredible library staff members who do this important work!

She currently lives in Rhode Island with her partner and their cat. In her free time she likes to draw, paint, play Magic the Gathering, go to the beach, cinema, or go see some live music.

Bill Kessler

Aspen Sales Consultant

Bill has a degree in Management Information Systems from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. He has extensive sales, innovative marketing and outreach, and customer relationship experience. Bill has been working with libraries since 2001. In his spare time, he enjoys running, hiking, traveling, and spending time with family.

Brendan Gallagher

CEO

Brendan founded ByWater Solutions in 2008 and is an expert on installation, data migration, and customization of many open source platforms. He graduated with an MLS from Southern Connecticut State University. He was a member of the first class of ALA Emerging Leaders where he focused on ways those in the library profession could re-brand themselves in the digital world. He was honored as Alumni of the Year for the Southern Connecticut State University in 2011. Brendan has worked in all types of libraries (Public, Academic, and Special libraries).

Brian Pichman

Head of Support

Brian Pichman, a forward-thinking technologist and champion for progress, breathes new life into libraries and educational institutions through his groundbreaking work across his careers. By seamlessly integrating state-of-the-art technology, fostering dynamic collaboration, and nurturing a culture of innovation, Brian masterfully transforms organizations into vibrant centers of creativity, knowledge-sharing, and community engagement that inspire lifelong learning. His unwavering commitment to reimagining the role of libraries and educational institutions in the modern world has a profound impact on communities, reshaping the way organizations operate and cementing his legacy as a transformative force for change in the world of education.

Catrina Berka

Lead Educator

Catrina is usually reading at least three books simultaneously and will gladly swap recommendations. She earned her MLS from the University of North Texas and BBA in Marketing from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Whether it has been training colleagues corporately, leading bible studies, teaching English, or facilitating small groups, she has been teaching adults for 20 years. Catrina has work and volunteer experience in school and public libraries and is passionate about issues of intellectual freedom, censorship, and DEI. Originally from Wisconsin, Catrina now lives in North Texas with her husband, son, and two stepsons. She is an avid reader, runner, hiker, and community volunteer.

Cindy Norman

Business Manager

Cindy is a mom of 2 awesome teens. She graduated from UCSB with a degree in Philosophy and a professional accounting certificate. Cindy also holds a Juris Doctorate from Santa Barbara College of Law and has worked in accounting and Human resources for 25+ years.

David Sye

Educator

David spent a lot of time at libraries throughout his childhood, whether he was participating in summer reading activities with his mom or traveling to libraries across the midwest with his Dad to explore microfilm collections. He earned his BA in History from the University of Illinois at Springfield, as well as his MLIS and MA in History from Indiana University Indianapolis. He has worked in research and reference roles in both academic and public libraries.

In his free time, David is very active in the competitive chess community, both as a player and tournament organizer. He also enjoys a wide variety of board games, card games, and video games. He currently lives in central Illinois with his fiancée and cat!

Donna Bachowski

Director of Implementations

Donna decided in 8th grade that she wanted to be a librarian, and that is exactly what she did. She earned a BA in Library Science from the University of Southern Mississippi and a MLS from the University of South Florida. She has worked in public libraries for more than 23 years, focusing on Adult Services. She currently resides in Northern Kentucky with her husband of 20 years, who she met in a library.

Elise Aiello

Partner Engagement Specialist

Elise holds an MLIS from the University of South Florida and a Bachelor's degree in American Studies from Eckerd College. With a decade of public library experience, Elise has previously worked for the Palm Harbor Library, Tampa-Hillsborough Public Library, the Tampa Bay Library Consortium, and Pasco County Libraries. Her professional interests include library outreach, social media content creation, and nontraditional library services. Her personal interests include hanging out with her husband, friends, family, and two dogs--a mini poodle and Goldendoodle! She loves hunting for treasures in thrift stores, trying new coffee shops, gardening, and jewelry making. She also thoroughly enjoys binge-watching Gilmore Girls and Golden Girls reruns and reading multiple books at the same time.

Elise Konya

Project Coordinator

Elise Konya started her career at the St. Louis County Library in Missouri but has been a library fan since childhood. At ByWater, she started off as part of the support team to assist libraries in whatever ways they need (and to absorb as much about Koha as she can!). Elise and her partner live in central Illinois, and between them they wrangle one kid and two cats. In her free time, Elise enjoys reading, writing, playing games, and browsing for new pens and notebooks.

Enica Davis

Data Migration Librarian

Enica holds a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology Management. She was born and raised in the Philippines where libraries were rather difficult to come by. Enica’s love of libraries blossomed when her family emigrated to the United States. Enica’s ESL teacher helped her learn the English language by suggesting she start visiting the local library and to begin reading anything she could get her hands on. Ever since, Enica has pursued a career in librarianship and has experience working in both academic and public libraries, managing technology, meeting the needs of library patrons, and helping libraries serve their communities in the best possible way. She loves digging into data and transforming it into easily accessible information that is useful and meaningful for librarians and patrons alike. When not at work, you’ll find her reading, painting, watching old films, and going on long walks/hikes with her partner and their dog, affectionately known as “The LABrarian.”

Eric Swenson

Implementation Support

Eric grew up in a family of librarians. His mother and sister blazed the trail that he later followed while completing his Bachelors Degree in Technology Management from Kansas State University. It was during his time as a student worker in the Salina Campus library that he developed a passion for what libraries can do and the incredible stories that their data can hold. He first full-time job in library land was for the South Central Kansas Library System where he provided I.T. support for 14 counties worth of libraries ranging from the "tiny but mighty" up to the "oh wow, that's big". Eric enjoys discovering new board games, going on adventures with his wife and three children, and generally geeking out over things.

Esther Melander

Educator

Esther started working in libraries in elementary school where she volunteered her lunch time to help shelve books and create displays. Since then she has worked in book conservation at a university followed by nearly 20 years in public library service as a cataloger. She served as president of The Library of Consortium of Eastern Idaho and loved serving rural libraries. She also has experience in genealogy and family history with a special interest in DNA research. She is passionate about all things open-source and has been a devoted Linux user for many years. Esther resides in Idaho with her husband.

Evelyn Hartline

Security and Systems Administrator

Evelyn has a bachelor's in Computer Science from Troy University and a love for building (and breaking) things. When not working, they can be found spending time with her dog, cat, and partner- probably playing Dungeons and Dragons.

Heather Rommens

Educator

Heather grew up wandering, exploring, and getting lost in the deserts and mountains of southern and central Idaho. Her hunger for knowledge and passion for nature inspired her to earn a BA in Environmental Studies and pursue an early career in plant and animal sciences. Her dream of living in a thriving rural community led her to the Idaho panhandle, where she discovered a love for working in libraries and a devotion to their mission of empowering others through access to information and continued learning. Heather looks forward to continuing her support of libraries through her role as an Educator with ByWater Solutions. She currently lives in Moscow, ID with her husband, cat, and flock of chickens.

Hebah Amin-Headley

Educator

Hebah spent a large portion of her formative years in libraries but took a few years after college to realize that's where she belonged in her professional career. She received her MLIS from the University of Missouri and has spent the last nearly 10 years in public libraries. When not working, she shares her life with one spouse, one future reader, and two spoiled cats. Her hobbies include knitting, crocheting, spinning her own yarn, reading, writing, and gaming.

Holly Mills

Educator

Holly spent her childhood in libraries. After a long and fruitful ramble through native plant restoration and community organizing, she found her way back to the library. As an organizer, she discovered a love of teaching and helping groups collectively reach solutions. Public libraries were the perfect place to continue that work with people of all ages and backgrounds. She is excited to share her training skills with the community of Bywater partners. She still loves plants.

Ian Walls

Head of Special Projects

Ian earned his MLIS and MS in Computer Science from the University of Rhode Island in 2008. He joined ByWater Solutions in 2010, supporting hundreds of libraries, developed new features for Koha, and provided on-site training for several of the company's partners. After a few years working as the Web Services and Emerging Technologies Librarian at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Ian has returned to ByWater to lead the FOLIO Division and support partners on this exciting new open source Library Service Platform.

Jesse Maseto

Systems Ninja

Jesse uses his 20 years of experience in operational management and client relations to streamline development processes and ensure that custom developments are delivered on time and according to specifications. Using his history of success in spearheading new initiatives and managing customer correspondence, Jesse follows new feature developments from conception all the way to realization. He has worked in many different business forums and is perfectly suited to bring the levels of organization and communication we are know for to our Koha partners.

Jessica Beno

Data Migration Librarian

Jessica received her BA from St. Xavier University and her MLIS from Dominican University’s School of Library and Information Science. She has worked for historical societies, museums, and archives across Chicagoland, but it was in her role as a corporate digital asset management associate where she developed her passion for data organization. It was with this passion and her love of libraries that she decided to continue her career as a migration librarian for ByWater Solutions. In her free time, Jessica enjoys staying active and spending her days outdoors.

Jessie Zairo

Director of Library Sales and Outreach

Jessie has both graduate and undergraduate degrees in Library Science; receiving her MLIS from the University of South Florida. Her previous experience as a Law Librarian and as Member Services Coordinator for an 18 county library consortium in Florida provided her with the opportunity to work and train with libraries of all sizes and types. Her primary professional interests are advocacy, outreach and training library staff on everything from technology to project management and customer service techniques. In her spare time she is an avid runner, traveler, outdoors lover and crafter.

Julie Wilson

Support

Julie has a MLS from Texas Woman’s University and has worked in special libraries in the field of print journalism. She stepped away from libraries to raise her daughter and has come back into the field to work at ByWater. She has had a lifetime love for libraries and currently lives in central Texas.

Kate Lozyk

Aspen Support

After jet-setting around the world for a few years, Kate came to the library world in 2020 and quickly developed a deep appreciation for modern libraries' role in the community. She is passionate about raising awareness about what a library can do for people and wants to empower library staff to help them deliver the best user experience to all visitors. An English major, she enjoys cheesy puns and wordplay, board games, and adventures with her spoiled dog.

Kendra Little

Systems Team

Kendra originally went to school with dreams of becoming a doctor, although she has always had a deep love for computers and everything technology. After an unlikely encounter, while completing her B.S. in Sports Medicine at Howard University, she decided to alter her career path and learn about Linux. Following graduation, she landed her first job in IT as a software administrator. Since then, she has had two Linux Systems Administrator positions before joining ByWater Solutions. She hopes that she can apply her technical skills to assist ByWater Solutions with its continuous growth. Originally from Long Island, NY Kendra has been a resident of the District of Columbia for over 10 years. In her free time, she enjoys riding her bike around the national mall, attending sporting events, reading, and serving her community.

Kodi Lein

Aspen Developer

Kodi started her career by first pursuing Dietetics/Nutrition, but decided to shift her goals towards software development due to her passion for video games. She went on to earn her BS in software development from Champlain College and discovered that she loves programming and UI/UX design even outside of game development. Her work in healthcare, as well as other customer service-based positions, bolstered her skills in communication and problem-solving and she is excited to combine those skills and experiences with her technical skills to assist ByWater's library partners! Currently, she lives in Vermont with her cat but grew up in Kansas City and hopes to be moving to Seattle soon! In her spare time, you can find her reading, singing, playing the guitar, or playing video games.

Krikor Makhdoumian

Linux System Administrator

Krikor comes to ByWater Solutions with 15 years of experience working for IT/IS units in a breadth of industries, from healthcare products and solutions, to biomedical research, temporary staffing, and academia. Most recently, he was a software and systems engineer. At ByWater, he values collaborating with employees whose work helps make libraries, and all that libraries offer, vital institutions in communities all over. As a longtime user of open-source software both professionally and personally, he is excited to join ByWater in the capacity of a Linux System Administrator.

Kyle Hall

Director of Development & Operations

Kyle is the Senior Developer at ByWater Solutions. He received his B.S in Computer Science and M.S. in Information Technology from Edinboro University of PA.

Kyle has spent his entire career as part of the Koha community working to make Koha better than ever. His work not only included enhancing Koha itself, but also authorship of the Koha Offline Circulation tool and an untold number of Koha plugins. He is also the author of Libki, an Open Source library kiosk management system.

Laura Escamilla

Developer

Laura received her BA in Psychology from the University of South Florida and she attended the same university for her Masters in Library and Information Sciences. She has worked for several public library systems, but it was in her role as a Teen Services Librarian that she developed her passion for software development. From creating viral virtual escape rooms to interactive websites, her excitement for tinkering with software led her to her career as a developer for ByWater Solutions. In her free time, Laura enjoys spending time with her son, playing video games, and reading

Laura O'Neil

Support Advocate

Laura was born and raised in Ohio, where she earned a BFA in Photography from Ohio University and an MLIS from Kent State University. After meandering down a career path that wound through AmeriCorps, the local tourism bureau, a couple of restaurants, a granite shop, and the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, she landed in the outreach department at the Athens County Public Libraries, where her greatest joy was getting to drive the bookmobile. Laura still lives in Ohio, where she enjoys reading, tiling, and visiting the thrift store.

Lauren Conley

Aspen Support / Customer Success Analyst

Lauren has a BA in International Studies from The Ohio State University and an MLIS from Kent State University. She grew up in Ohio, spending most of her time reading and then realized becoming a librarian would be a good fit (after she swore never to return to school again). After moving to Colorado, she worked for a library consortium, serving public, school, community college, and correctional libraries across the state. She has a firm belief that everyone deserves a good library and loves helping library staff with their questions and processes. She lives with her librarian spouse, daughter, and dog in Colorado and enjoys reading, sunshine, and playing trivia.

Lisette Scheer

Koha Development

Lisette has a bachelor's in Anthropology and Museum Studies from Central Washington University. She enjoys digging down to the root cause of problems and helping find solutions. Lisette enjoys spending time with her partner and pets, playing board games, and playing video games.

Lucas Gass

Developer

Lucas received his MLIS from San Jose State University. He spent 7 years working in public libraries and 4 as a systems librarian. In his free time, Lucas loves skiing, mountain biking, and anything outdoors.

Mark Miller

Data Migration Librarian

Mark developed his love for libraries doing research for his BA in music from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Since then, he has received his MLIS from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and worked in libraries in the Chicago area before finding a way to combine his love of libraries and technology at Bywater. In his spare time he enjoys making music, playing games, and petting his dog.

Michael Kucsak

COO

Michael is a graduate of Florida State University's School of Library and Information Studies. A professional librarian with over 25 years of experience, Michael has worked for non-profit library consortia, public, private, K-12 and University libraries. He has been a library technology consultant for numerous libraries including the State Library of Florida. While in the private sector, Michael became a Six Sigma Black Belt specializing in process improvement and process management.

Michael is currently the Chief Operations Officer for ByWater Solutions.

Nathan Curulla

CRO

Nathan has a degree in Business Management and Marketing, and has expert customer service and relationship development experience. His extensive sales experience in regional, national and international forums has given him a broad scope with regard to our clients needs. He has also successfully managed many operational projects, maximizing work flow procedures and streamlining business operations.

Nick Clemens

Head of Koha Development

Nick is a librarian from Vermont. He became interested in Koha when his libraries migrated to the ILS. As part of the VOKAL consortium he became involved in the Koha community, testing and signing off patches and eventually writing patches of his own. He is currently a member of the Koha QA team, and has served as release maintainer and release manager.

Nick is called the sonic screwdriver because you can point him at any problem, he will make a lot of noise (a good deal of loud typing) and something will happen.

Sarah Maseto

Assistant Business Manager

Sarah studied business management at Southern Connecticut State University and has over 10 years of experience in working closely with customers in many different support-centric business environments. Sarah brings her impressive organizational skills and operations experience to the table while maintaining healthy communication with ByWater partners regarding contracts, renewals, and billing questions.

Sara Brown

Educator

Sara received her MLS from the University at Buffalo and her BA from Goucher College. As a public librarian for the past five years, she spent many hours focused on digital equity, privacy, and access to information. Her favorite parts of the job were teaching technology classes, privacy advocacy and training for colleagues and patrons, and the chance to meet and learn from so many smart and talented people. Outside of work, she spends time with friends and family, explores on foot or bike, and weaves.

Sara Porter

Implementation Support

Sara didn't originally intend to pursue a career in libraries, but she fell in love with the field while working part-time at her local public library during college. Over the past five years she has worked various roles in public libraries, all the while developing a particular interest in library data and technology. She earned her BA in Sociology from California State University, Fullerton, and a MS in Information Science from the University of North Texas. Originally from Southern California, Sara currently lives in Kansas and enjoys spending her free time with her friends and family, including her very spoiled dog and cat. Her hobbies include reading, knitting, and playing video games.

Todd Goatley-Seals

Koha Evangelist and Support

Todd hales from the Washoe County Library System in Reno/Tahoe, NV. It's a large and wonderful library system nestled in the incredible Sierra Mountain Range. He came to Reno/Tahoe via Southeast Florida a move that changed his life in many ways. He enjoys running, biking, skiing, traveling and sharing time with family and attending community events.

Valerie Burnett

Data Migration Librarian

Valerie Burnett holds an MLIS from the University of Washington. She brings to ByWater 25 years of experience in academic, medical, and school libraries. At ByWater, she enjoys supporting libraries across the continent and the world and takes her role in caring for library data very seriously. Outside of work, her pursuits include knitting, sewing, rambling on foot, cosplay, plant-based cuisine, and cats, with a great passion for ensuring a beautiful and safe world for all humans, especially traditionally marginalized humans.

Yanjun Li

Developer II

Yanjun has a Master’s degree in Computer Engineering from New York University. Growing up in an engineering family, she developed a strong interest in software development and robotics from an early age. Yanjun enjoys developing/building things and solving problems. Outside of work, you can find her re-watching her favorite movies and shows looking for hidden details, playing puzzle and simulator games, or spending time with her succulents and fish. She's very good at taking care of other people's cats/dogs and she hope she can have her own cats and dogs soon.