BREMERTON — Jason Driver, who has led Kitsap Regional Library since early 2022, will step down at the end of the year to become chief executive director of St. Louis Public Library.
Driver’s resignation takes effect Dec. 31, and he starts in St. Louis on Jan. 4, 2027, the library announced Nov. 4. The move returns Driver and his family to the Midwest, closer to extended family.
“In recent years, my family has experienced real loss, and it has reminded us that family comes first,” Driver said in the announcement. “Returning to the Midwest will bring us closer to the people we love, and I am excited to begin this next chapter with St. Louis Public Library.”
The library’s Board of Trustees will work with Human Resources to recruit the next executive director. Until a successor is hired, Deputy Director and Chief Financial and Operating Officer Dan Baer, Interim Deputy Director of Human Resources Chandra Talerico and the library’s leadership team will oversee operations and services.
Board President Gina Steiner said the board will approach the search “with care, transparency, and a deep respect for the foundation Jason has helped build.”
Driver came to Kitsap in February 2022 from the Chicago Public Library, where he held leadership roles in early learning, branch operations and community engagement, he told Kitsap Business magazine in a 2025 interview. He succeeded longtime library director Jill Jean.
During his tenure, voters passed Proposition 1, which the library said secures its funding for another 10 years. The library also adopted Thrive Ahead, its 2024-2029 strategic direction, and redesigned its Summer Learning program to remove barriers to participation for children and families.
The library also cited progress on plans for a new library in Port Orchard, early visioning for replacing the Sylvan Way library in Bremerton, expanded mobile and digital services, a second full day of staff training each year and its 80th anniversary celebration.
“I am sad to see Jason go, and I am grateful for everything he has given to this Library and community,” Steiner said on behalf of the board.
“I also believe in knowing when it is time to step aside so others can lead,” Driver said. “Kitsap Regional Library is in capable hands.”
Kitsap Regional Library operates nine locations, a mobile outreach service and a digital library at krl.org, serving a county of more than 277,000 people.
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