COD board cancels Thursday meeting 'out of deference' to new reform members

The next time the College of DuPage's board of trustees meets, it's expected to have three new faces.

That's because the board meeting scheduled for Thursday night, which would have been the last for the outgoing board, has been canceled.

A spokesman hired to represent the Glen Ellyn-based school said trustees have decided not to meet "out of deference" to last week's election results, where three reform candidates were elected to the seven-member panel.

"The old board wants the new board, when it organizes, to step in and begin to conduct business on behalf of the college," spokesman Randall Samborn said.

Illinois Community College Board officials said the old board isn't legally required to meet as originally scheduled.

"It's not atypical that the (outgoing) board will meet after the election," said Matt Berry, legislative and external affairs liaison for the ICCB. "But they are not required to do so."

As a result, it's expected that newcomers Deanne Mazzochi, Frank Napolitano and Charles Bernstein will be seated on the COD board during its next meeting, which is yet to be scheduled.

The three members of the "Clean Slate" defeated nine other candidates - including incumbents Kim Savage and Nancy Svoboda - after getting endorsed by sitting COD Trustee Kathy Hamilton, who often was at odds with the rest of the old board.

"I can't wait to get started," Hamilton said. "There's a lot of work to be done, but I'm very excited for the community to start new."

Hamilton and the Clean Slate members have vowed to address questions that have been raised about COD's finances and the board's apparent lack of oversight. They also will try to undo a controversial $762,000 buyout package for school President Robert Breuder, who is scheduled to step down next March.

The new board's organizational meeting must be held between April 28 and May 5 - after the election results are certified by the DuPage County Election Commission. Hamilton is expected to make a bid for the chairmanship.