Library staff and members of the board of trustees offer their heartfelt condolences to the family of longtime board member Dave Mayta, who passed away on July 16, 2024.

For 17 years, Dave served on the Library’s board of trustees as the Independence representative. He acted mostly as vice president during his tenure, which lasted from 1999-2016.

Current board member Laura Dominik was a longtime friend to Dave and his wife, Connie. She says she’s heartbroken for the family but also for the community, calling him “one of the kindest, most brilliant men I know.”

The years he served were pivotal for the Library, and Dave’s leadership was instrumental in key initiatives.  
In 1999, just as he was accepting the position, the number of Kansas City Public Library cardholders surpassed 200,000. At that same time, the rise of the internet and computer usage warranted the opening of the Library’s first technology center, an early step in what would become a decades-long mission to provide digital access for all Kansas Citians.

A few years later, the Irene H. Ruiz Branch opened to serve the city’s west side, the first and only branch to be named for a Library employee. Three years after that, the iconic First National Bank building at 10th and Baltimore opened as the Central Library, thanks to community leaders and board members who spearheaded the $50.2 million renovation.

Also during Dave’s time on the board, the Library received the prestigious National Medal for Museum and Library Service from the Institute for Museum and Library Services, honoring “outstanding institutions that make significant and exceptional contributions to their communities.”

When Dave decided to step down, Laura was named as his replacement. “I was honored to be asked to fill the big shoes left by his retirement,” Laura recalls.

Throughout his life, Dave’s philanthropic footprint was large; he was a part of positive change all across the metro through his volunteer and leadership positions with the Community Association of the Arts, the Bingham-Waggoner Estate, the Vaile Victorian Society, the Truman Heartland Community Foundation and, most notably, PAWS (People for Animal Welfare Society).

The Truman Heartland Community Foundation and a taskforce of mayors named him and Connie Citizen of the Year in 2018 for being instrumental in the development of strong communities and offering unwavering support to their neighbors.

Dominik says, “Dave will always be a part of the fabric that helped make the Kansas City Public Library what it is today, and he will always be my North Star.”