Pat Stack: Candidate Profile

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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: BarringtonWebsite: NATwitter: naFacebook: Pat StackOffice sought: Harper College School Board Age: 67Family: Husband Tom, Daughters Beth Schenck, Megan Stack, Kate Stack; son Michael Stack. Two grandchildren.Occupation: Vice President Performance Improvement, Northwest Community Hospital (retired 2014)Education: B.S.N. Georgetown UniversityM.B.A. Lake Forest Graduate School of ManagementCivic involvement: Harper College Board of Trustees since 2015Director, Excel Beyond 211 Dollars for Scholars, an organization dedicated to ensuring college success for low-income, high-performing students;Coach, One Million Degrees, a mentoring organization also focused on low-income, high-performing students.Elected offices held: Trustee, Harper College since 2015Board of Directors, Excel Beyond 211 Dollars for Scholars since 2016Questions Answers Why are you running for this office, whether for re-election or election the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you, and if so, what is it?Harper is a community asset that needs knowledgeable committed individuals to support it. I believe that my background and experience with many aspects of Harper's programs will be helpful in fulfilling my board duties. My relationship with Harper College spans many years. My daughter, Megan, is a graduate of the Harper nursing program and is enjoying a career as a critical care nurse. During my career in a variety of leadership roles at Northwest Community Hospital I had the opportunity to employ many Harper graduates. I have always been impressed with the quality of education that they received at Harper. In recent years, I have also been a student in the Continuing Education program, taking classes on-line and in the classroom. Higher education is facing some of the same issues that have challenged healthcare, such as how to produce consistently excellent outcomes for the lowest possible cost. My knowledge of performance measurement and optimization is not industry specific and can be useful in these economically challenging times.In tough economic times, many students (and working professionals) turn to a community college for its educational value. How do you ensure that a person's financial sacrifice results in an educational benefit?As a participant in two mentoring and coaching programs for students attending Harper, I have seen first hand the impact of balancing economic concerns with continued academic progress. I am a strong supporter of the many innovative programs Harper has initiated to ensure student success in progressing toward their degree or certification. These programs include enhanced academic counseling, apprenticeship programs with local employers, and course-alignment strategies with both high schools and colleges. New programs in manufacturing, supply chain, among others, are preparing students for high-demand careers upon graduation. The Harper leadership and faculty are to be commended for their commitment and excellence in preparing students for their next phase of employment or educational pursuits.From the college's point of view, what budget issues will your district have to confront and what measures do you support to address them? If you believe cuts are necessary, what programs and expenses should be reduced or eliminated? On the income side, do you support any tax or fee increases?The state of Illinois budget stalemate has reduced and/or eliminated expected state contributions to all Illinois community colleges. Harper has been successful so far in implementing cost reductions without sacrificing academic quality or programs; this process is critical and will need to continue. It is important that Harper continues to ensure that staff and faculty salaries will continue to be in line with other Illinois community colleges.Regarding revenue, Harper has been blessed with support from many corporate partnerships and many generous donors . Harper's nationally recognized Promise Program is preparing to fully fund two years of tuition for incoming high school students who have completed the required prerequisites of service, attendance, and achievement for their entire high school career. The Promise program is being fully funded by philanthropy, though the Harper College Foundation.The Board will be working with College leadership throughout the next budget cycle to do program-level reviews and assess any opportunities for either expense reductions or program re-design. My experience in performance improvement and examining similar challenges in the healthcare industry will help me contribute effectively to these discussions.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?With incoming high school graduates, Harper has instituted a number of programs to improve college readiness in key academic subjects. There are also special programs, clubs and activities for students of any background, including recently expanded services for veterans. We are fortunate to have a student trustee on the board who keeps the board informed of any potential student concerns.I also have personal contact with students from diverse backgrounds through my work with Excel Beyond 211 Dollars for Scholars and One Million Degrees. These efforts help keep me attuned to the needs of many students.If you are a newcomer, what prompted you to run for the community college board? If you're an incumbent, list your accomplishments or key initiatives in which you played a leadership role.Since I joined the board in June, 2015, I have participated in the strategic planning and budget development processes. The implementation of the performance dashboard has been of particular interest to me as it allows the board to monitor Harper performance in key areas related to student success. I have used these types of dashboards to manage critical projects at NCH, so I know their value.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I am a firm believer that student success has many components, and that multiple methods need to be used to accomplish student goals. The education has to be available, accessible and affordable. The educational programs have to be relevant to the needs of current students, potential employers, and the community at-large.I would like to see an expansion of on-line classes and programs available to students. This could increase the number of students able to take classes.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Bill Gates and Melinda Gates for their philanthropic work through their foundation.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Be accountable; do what you said you were going to do.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I've been very fortunate to have a great family and a very interesting and satisfying career; I don't think that I'd change a thing.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?l liked all the lab sciences, although I found them to be challenging. This knowledge was helpful to me in my clinical career.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Follow your heart and work hard; good things will happen!