ECC board changes officers, student rep

The Elgin Community College board Tuesday chose new officers and seated a new representative from the student body who moved to America less than two years ago.

The board members are elected by the district's voters, and board members choose their own officers each year.

A year ago the members re-elected veteran Donna Redmer of Dundee Township to her third term as board chair and Eleanor MacKinney of Hampshire to her third term as vice chair. On Tuesday, with trustees Angela Causey and Art Sauceda absent, the board elected MacKinney as the new chair and picked the board's newest member, attorney Jeff Meyer of Elgin, to be vice chair.

John Duffy, who has held every board office during his four decades as a trustee, was re-elected secretary.

The board seated new student representative Diego Gonzalez. He replaces Jorge Galvan, who said he will attend DePaul University next fall.

Gonzalez, 20, of Elgin, said he came to America a year and a half ago after graduating from high school in Mexico. Fluent in English, he said he plans to major in international business.

In the past, student reps such as Galvan had been elected by the entire student body. But just 120 voters participated when Galvan defeated two other candidates a year ago. So this year the student government decided that the rep should be chosen in an interview by a panel composed of a faculty member, Office of Student Life officials, the president of the student government and Galvan.

Gonzalez said his special emphasis as student rep will be to "let students know that ECC is not just a place to come and take classes. They can come and have a student life" with numerous chances to participate in extracurricular activities and service projects.