There are 6 candidates running for 3 seats. Micah, J. Eimer, Marie Toussaint, and Cheryl Brown could not be reached. 

What principles or values do you think are essential for the position you are running for?

"Transparency, equity, and advocacy are essential for this role. As trustee, I will prioritize open communication, ensure fair access to resources for all students, and advocate for policies that support educators and empower students to succeed."

What experience or qualifications make you the right person to hold this position?

"As a dedicated public servant and union representative, I have consistently advocated for state employees and educators. My experience collaborating with community leaders, educators, and policymakers has equipped me with the skills to promote transparency, equity, and strong policies that will support Oakton College’s future."

What will be your highest priority for Oakton Community College? 

"My highest priority is ensuring Oakton College remains accessible and affordable for all students. I will advocate for policies that support educators, expand resources, and promote student success, ensuring the college continues to serve the community effectively."

"Oakton College prides itself on serving our international population, and I appreciate that they have been hosting service providers for immigration rights.  That being said, I am concerned that the breadth of needs across our communities - which present service challenges for every institution - are not as well supported as I would like them to be.  Oakton College does a good job tracking students and following the data, but in an institution of only 7,000 students, I'd like to know that data is being used as a starting point to find out what real barriers exist for people struggling to access a better life through education - and I think the best way to do that is direct outreach and discussion with community members as well as current students."

What principles or values do you think are essential for the position you are running for?

"I think that a willingness to listen and learn directly from constituents is essential."

What experience or qualifications make you the right person to hold this position?

"First, I am a service-oriented person who has been looking for meaningful ways to contribute to my community. Having grown up on two college campuses—where my parents were philosophy professors at Xavier University and Thomas More University—I have a deep understanding of how colleges operate, and thus Oakton College Trustee seems like a logical choice.

Second, through my involvement in Mutual Aid projects in Evanston, our community gave me invaluable insight into the barriers that prevent my neighbors from escaping poverty. I do not take that gift lightly, and I want to use the position of Trustee to strengthen Oakton College’s role as a driver of economic opportunity and social mobility.

I believe Oakton’s current administration underestimates the challenges faced by those who could benefit most from its services. Poverty affects everyone, and while education alone isn’t the solution, we can and should leverage it more effectively in the fight against economic hardship.

Additionally, I am autistic, have raised an autistic child, and am currently supporting a SPED family—who are also an Oakton family—through their journey. This summer, I will be pursuing SEAT certification from the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates as a Special Education Advocate. 

From my own experience, I know how vital Oakton College is to our neurodiverse population. I also bring a unique perspective on how we can better serve those who approach education in their own way, ensuring that every student’s needs are recognized and met."

What will be your highest priority for Oakton Community College? 

"Leveraging Oakton College as an engine for economic mobility and a driving force against poverty."

What principles or values do you think are essential for the position you are running for?

"I think a principle supportive of any and all DEI diversity, equity and inclusion work is essential. I believe it is time to lean into DEI work, to elevate that work even beyond where it sat before. I believe in equity first. High quality, affordable higher education for all is a fundamental value of mine. Education such as this should be a fundamental right of all not a privilege for some. I believe that all faculty, full time and adjunct and staff must be treated with dignity and respect

"I also believe a community college must serve the entire community, the people who live there and the organizations to which they belong or at which they may be employed. It is important that our educational programs serve the leaners' needs and also provide educated employees for the industries that exist within our district. I am, for example, very excited about the partnerships between Endeavor Health and Oakton and Northwestern Medicine and Oakton.  Students will be trained for high paying careers in desperately needed areas of Health Care."

What experience or qualifications make you the right person to hold this position?

"I have been a Trustee for Oakton College for the past six years over which time I have gained a deep and respectful understanding of the needs of the college and the community it serves. 

"I decided to run, initially, because my career has been in the service of adult learners. I have been a teacher, a curriculum and program designer and I have worked with learners who were working to complete a high school diploma when English was not their first language, to those working on doctorates in adult education who hoped to serve the field of adult education. I hold an Ed.D. in Education with a focus on Adult Education. I felt like I had the background and knowledge to serve the college and the community. That knowledge and experience has grown over the past six years. 

"I decided to run again in 2025 because I feel very strongly that this is a time to lean in, not to step down. The strategic plan at Oakton College is about Building Just and Thriving Communities. The educational opportunities are outstanding. While it is always important to support programs built on those principles and values, it is even more important to do so, explicitly, today. 

"For most of the past decade I have focused my professional life on DEI work as an equity and consultant and facilitator."

What will be your highest priority for Oakton Community College? 

"As I believe in the strategic plan of Building Just and Thriving Communities, my highest priority is to support the brilliant leadership and faculty serving the College by enacting that plan.  I want to continue to support the focus on equity, anti-racism and inclusion by recognizing systemic injustices - whatever they may be - and challenging those through service to our learners. 

"I also hope to begin an initiative to bring even younger learners from our district into the College. While many students in our district may opt for a four-year college, for those who may not, it would be best to bring them onto our campus as early as possible to put a college experience into their young minds."