As a child, Minnesota native Betty Rae Powers wanted to travel and see the world. She did just that: after working as a secretary and bookkeeper for a Southern Minnesota school district, Powers applied to the Foreign Service and went overseas, where she worked as a secretary to the Ambassador of Manila, the Philippines. She met her husband, also a Foreign Service officer, there; they spent the next 35 years living in places such as Beirut and Israel. Powers and her family have owned a home in Northern Virginia since 1968, and came back for good in 1991.
Powers and her husband have two sons, one a doctor in Richmond and one a computer consultant and financial planner in Northern Virginia.
Powers’ taste for travel still remains as strong as when she was in the Foreign Service. "Surprisingly, after all the years overseas, my husband and I still love to travel and do so whenever we can," she said. Since his retirement, she said, the couple has traveled to China, Australia and New Zealand, and have taken a cruise around the tip of South America.
Powers also knows the value of volunteerism. On April 9, she will be honored by the Fairfax County Public Library Board of Trustees for volunteering over 1,000 hours at Kings Park Library in Burke. She also volunteers as a driver for Meals on Wheels. After spending a lot of time on the roads, she has noticed the need for road and street maintenance in Fairfax County, she said.
Powers’ two favorite activities are reading and photography. She recently read "The Other Boleyn Girl" and saw the movie as well. She also enjoys dining out at The Lamplighter in Fairfax and, for Middle Eastern food, Aladdin in Burke.
Who is your favorite author and why?
I enjoy all sorts of books and really don't have a favorite author. I like historical novels and mysteries and stories that take place in cities or countries in which I have lived.
How did you begin volunteering with Fairfax County Public Libraries?
A friend of mine was a library volunteer and it sounded like something I would enjoy so I went in and signed up.
What do you most enjoy about working at the library?
I thoroughly enjoy the people I work with and have made many new friends. I like talking to the patrons and finding out about new books. All in all, it has been a very rewarding experience.