ARCS Light Award Recipients

Biography

Helga Moore, the San Diego ARCS Light for 2019, has been a very active member for ten years and has taken on many roles on the Board of Directors. She has served on the Board for eight of the ten years she has been a member, including two years as President.  

After graduating with a Master’s Degree from the Norwegian State Library School, Helga accepted an offer to work for the San Diego Public Library as an exchange librarian for one year. During that time, she met her late husband James, an aeronautical engineer working for General Dynamics. They got married in Norway and settled in San Diego.

After raising two daughters, Helga decided to go back to work for the library,

Her first daunting task was to oversee the automation of the library system which was met with both skepticism and opposition from both the staff and the public.   

To better prepare for this assignment, Helga gained a Certificate in Business Data Processing from UCSD. She retired from the library as Deputy Director, which  included overseeing the planning of the new Central Library.

In addition to ARCS, Helga has been active in many civic and nonprofit organizations including:  Sons of Norway (President), House of Norway (President), PEO Chapter NN (President), San Diego Lions Club (Trustee), San Diego Council on Literacy (Secretary), First Presbyterian Church (Deacon), Town & Gown and San Diego Symphony Stars. She also served as the Chair of the Sons of Norway International Convention, held in San Diego in 2008.

She is an avid supporter of the Symphony and the La Jolla Playhouse and is an annual subscriber to the Old Globe and the San Diego Musical Theatre.

Helga is known for her energy and enthusiasm. She visits her native country every year and is known for her innovative problem solving capabilities and commitment to the organizations she supports.