Michael Smith: Candidate Profile

Back to McHenry Commmunity College School Board 6-year term

Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioQA Bio City: Village of LakewoodWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: McHenry Commmunity College School Board 6-year term Age: 52Family: Wife of 29 years Erin, Daughters Brittani (27), Morgan (24), Rachel (22) and Son Keith (19).Occupation: Wealth Management Advisor and Senior Corporate Retirement Plan Consultant, UBS Financial ServicesEducation: MBA from the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business at DePaul University in Chicago. BA in Management from North Central College in Naperville. Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist (CRPS) Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst (AIFA) Accredited Retirement Plan Consultant (ARPC) Securities Industry Registrations, Series 7, Series 24, Series 63 and Series 66.Civic involvement: Trustee, Board of Trustees, McHenry County College. Past President, Treasurer, of the Friends of McHenry County College Foundation Board of Directors. McHenry County Council of Governments. McHenry County Economic Development Corporation.Elected offices held: Trustee, McHenry County College Board of Trustees.Questions Answers With enrollment up at my many community colleges, it can be challenging to keep pace as far as available classroom/lab space, the number of qualified teachers and available course work options. How would you manage that?McHenry County College had the highest rate of growth in student head count and full time equivalent enrollment during a recent 5 year period among all community colleges in Illinois. Demographics, technological innovation and economic cycles all play material roles in capacity needs. These factors can also create dramatic shifts in demand, leading to both increasing and decreasing need for capacity. I believe flexibility and mobility must be embedded in the college's strategic response to this never-ending challenge. As the former Treasurer and President of the College's Foundation Board of Directors, and now as an appointed member of the Board of Trustees since October 1st, I have had the privilege of viewing, first hand, the positive ways that the college is addressing these changing needs. Flexible options, such as later classes, weekend class offerings, online programs, combination programs that include both online and classroom teaching, dual-credit programs and the leveraging of existing facilities throughout the county for satellite location offerings, are all prudent practices that I fully support. In addition, albeit in its infancy stages at the College, I believe that public/private partnerships and intergovernmental agreements can be leveraged to optimize the usage of underutilized capacity in other parts of our county. I believe that this will enhance the College's ability to meet the educational and workforce demands of tomorrow, while mitigating the risk associated with short term needs for capacity that become obsolete due to the aforementioned dramatic shifts in demographics, technological innovation and economic cycles.Are you currently employed by or retired from a school district, if so, which one? Is any member of your direct family - spouse, child or child-in-law - employed by the school district where you are seeking a school board seat?No, I am not currently employed by a school district, nor have I ever been. No, no member of my direct family is employed by the school district where I am seeking a school board seat.Is a tax rate increase needed and, if so, how do you justify it?I was appointed to the Board of Trustees on October 1st, and one of my first acts as a new member was my vote to freeze the tax levy for the coming fiscal year budget. As a public community college, MCC is funded by local property taxes, tuition, fees, and a declining level of state assistance. I am mindful of the financial realities of our state, as well as the risk of more financial burden being shifted to the college. However, I fundamentally believe that the trend toward increasing taxes, coupled with decreases in services, often to support underfunded pension systems or pay increases that exceed the CPI, is simply unsustainable. Operating under the premise that going to the taxpayers for tax increases is acceptable as a "last resort" is not an acceptable approach or philosophy to me. If we don't find alternative solutions for adequate funding, if we can't achieve improvements in operational efficiencies that lead to cost savings, we have to come to the reality that the institution may have to do without, just as most households across our country have to do within their budgets everyday, or the county and perhaps our state may plummet into bankruptcy. I believe that the administration and the Board of Trustees must continue to develop partnerships within the McHenry County Economic Development Corporation and across the McHenry County Council of Governments that lead to cost effective solutions to the institution's many financial challenges, solutions that don't include property tax rate increases.Community colleges provide many services to a diverse population. Is there a service your college should be providing that it is not, or reaching a segment of the population that it is not?McHenry County College is no exception when it comes to the many resources it extends to the diverse population of McHenry County. In the past 6 years, more than half of the students at MCC enrolled in developmental math. To reduce this need for remedial classes, MCC has developed a summer bridge program where high school and college faculty teach side by side to better align their coursework and ease the transition to college. MCC has also increased dual credit programs and developed a curriculum with a focus on manufacturing, most notably surrounding robotics technology. To align with these critical initiatives, I would like to see the College become more involved in a program Waubonsee Community College developed, known as the Voluntary Framework of Accountability for the American Association of Community Colleges. This program developed measures that for the first time will allow colleges to compare their data with peers and more accurately gauge employment information. This data collection included the promotion of proficiency credit; identification of current and former students that require only a course or two for degree/certificate completion; the search for specific certifications that enhance the employability of baccalaureate and master's degree holders; and the consideration of college systems and processes that inadvertently obstruct a student's ability to pursue degrees/certificates to completion.What do you think of President Obama's proposal for offering two years of free community college education?At first glance, it might seem difficult to oppose President Obama's America's College Promise Program. After all, the basic concept of the plan is the assurance of a free community college level education to students who qualify. I had the privilege of serving on the Friends of McHenry County College Foundation Board of Directors for 4 years, during a time when we were implementing and overseeing an identical concept that was privately funded. That heroic and trailblazing effort from those that originated the MCC Promise Program inspired me to join the effort, become a donor to the program and continue to serve the College in broader fundraising efforts as the Treasurer and ultimately the President of the Foundation Board. While the MCC Promise Program has concluded after serving over 170 students, I do believe in the resurrection of the Promise, but through private funding efforts and without Federal Government involvement. I believe that the President's proposal is both flawed and riddled with exposure to unintended consequences very likely to have an adverse impact on MCC and the community college system throughout Illinois, if not the entire country. At the top of that list is the fact that the state of Illinois is warning MCC and the state's community colleges that state aid is expected to drop 20 to 30% in the next fiscal year. The President's proposal includes state financial support to the tune of 25% of the overall cost, making the viability of the program highly unlikely.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I look forward to continuing to play an active leadership role as a steward of the institution through participation in legislative advocacy and intelligent policy development for the College. I believe that boards should govern in a prudent manner, setting policy and establishing appropriate controls, while delegating the authority to manage the operations of the institution to the President, administration, faculty and staff. There are countless employees within the College accomplishing extraordinary things every day, and they deserve a Board of Trustees that governs without ego, promotes them and the work that they do and contributes to the shaping of the institution's culture. MCC deserves trustees who recognize that this commitment to serve scales far beyond any one issue. It is a six year term filled with a great deal of complexity, and it requires an extraordinary amount of effort to contribute to the ongoing development of the college's positive image throughout the community. I believe that MCC can be the premier regional economic engine for our county, and continuing to identify opportunities to actively represent the College at the national, state and local levels will continue to be a top priority for me during my service as a trustee. As a 27 year resident of McHenry County, I would consider it a privilege to leverage relationships with key partners such as the College's foundation board, the McHenry County Economic Development Corporation, and the McHenry County Council of Governments to secure resources that will benefit McHenry County College.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.My wife Erin, who in addition to her professional career serves as the President of the Village of Lakewood. She inspires me every day.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Work ethic, and bearing witness every day to a role model in how to be a good husband and father, from my dad.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I wouldn't change a thing. I fundamentally believe we learn as much or more from our challenging times as we do from our successes.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?English. The ability to communicate effectively through both written and verbal presentations has been instrumental to any and all success I have achieved.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?If you get the most important things in life right, faith and family, rest assured that everything else will work itself out.