John Mathews II serves as President of the Long Beach Public Library Foundation, leading advocacy and philanthropy on behalf of Long Beach Public Libraries. John also serves as Chief of Staff for the LA County Public Defender’s office and has previously held positions serving LA County Supervisor Holly Mitchell, the Justice Collaborative, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Puerto Rico, and more. He and his wife are blessed to be raising their daughter in his hometown of Long Beach.
A book that's stuck with John recently is Hunt, Gather, Parent by Michaeleen Douclef, Ph.D. “This book inspires me to parent more calmly and be a cooler Dad! My wife and I are proud parents to our 3-year-old daughter, and the book demonstrates how ancient cultures can guide parents in raising kind, happy, and thriving kids.”
Book: Hunt, Gather, Parent
Author: Michaeleen Douclef, Ph.D
John continues, “The book does this by focusing on practical, implementable concepts and embracing a broader conception of family, which I believe is really important if our society is going to thrive. I hope this book will inspire us all to learn from other cultures as we raise our own children and support our neighbors in the Long Beach community.”
“One passage that was particularly meaningful to me focused on the importance of family, friendships, and community: ‘The quality of our early family relationships is tied to whether we suffer from loneliness and social isolation as an adult. If a child feels nurtured by their parents and feels like they can count on them, then the child carries that with them for the rest of their lives.’” explains John. “I hope that other parents and readers will realize they are not alone in the moments when they feel like they are lost or not doing enough as a parent.”
On why he loves reading in general, John says, “I believe reading is so important because it unlocks new worlds and new possibilities. I really appreciate hearing other perspectives and learning from experiences that I haven't had yet.” He's grateful for the role his own mom had in encouraging his love of books and education adding, “I'm so thankful for my mom, Dr. Gwendolyn Mathews, who was a Long Beach educator and always emphasized the importance of reading and learning.”
