Kern County’s Christina Mashtaire Wins Top Award from California Retired Teachers Association

Sacramento—Christina Mashtaire, former Kern High School District director of instructional media and nationally-known public library supporter, has been named recipient of the California Retired Teachers Association’s highest honor—the Ruth Q. dePrida Award. Mashtaire was announced as the winner of the prestigious award during CRTA’s Annual Convention, May 17-19. She was cited for her wide-ranging career as a librarian and instructional resources expert as well as her extensive community volunteer efforts. “Christina exemplifies the high standards of the Ruth Q. dePrida Award,” noted President-elect Eva Ham. “She not only went beyond the call of duty in her professional life but also continues to exercise considerable energy during her retirement. it seems that every organization she joins sooner or later drafts her to a leadership position, and CRTA has been a grateful beneficiary of her considerable skills.” Mashtaire worked in the Kern High School District for more than 25 years, retiring in 1981. She has taught graduate courses in library science at a number of state universities. She was chair of the Evaluation and Review Teams for the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing and an ad hoc consultant to the state Department of Education and several school districts. Mashtaire has been involved with CRTA for 21 years, including stints as committee chair and president of local chapters. She played a key role in establishing the local Scholarship Foundation, which provides financial aid to future teachers.

Mashtaire has also held leadership roles in the California Association of School librarians, and the California Media and Library Educators Association, and the Delta Kappa Gamma Society international. At the local level, Mashtaire served six years on the board of the YWCA, two years as president, and was president of the Friends of the Kern County Library. The Kern County Board of Supervisors appointed her to the committee that established the Beale Memorial Library in Bakersfield. Mashtaire was also appointed to the White House Conference on Libraries and Information Services, a particularly memorable experience, she said. “The opportunity to spread the word and generate more community support for libraries and their services impressed me particularly,” Mashtaire noted. “it was the culmination of a lifetime’s mission.

The Ruth Q. dePrida Award is named after its first recipient, a longtime leader in California Retired Teachers Association and a tireless advocate for children’s and education issues for more than 50 years. CRTA is the state’s foremost advocate for retired educators, with nearly 50,000 members.
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