Cynthia Kisser: Candidate Profile

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:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: Wonder LakeWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: McHenry County CollegeAge: 61Family: Married, one sonOccupation: AttorneyEducation: J.D. Cert. in Litigation,Arbitration Dispute Resolution, Chicago Kent College of Law,2000; Mediation Cert.,Ctr. for Conflict Resolution,1999; M.A.,American Studies,Bowling Green State Univ.,1973; B.A.,American Studies, Mary Washington College, 1971Civic involvement: Advisory Board Member, Computer Information Systems (CSI) Committee, McHenry County CollegeBoard Member, J.P.D. Warriors, Inc. (suicide prevention and awareness non-profit)Past Member, Administrative Council, Greenwood United Methodist ChurchElected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Strengthening communication between the Board of Trustees, the faculty and staff, the students of the college, and the community at large to maximize resources to achieve the the college's goals.Key Issue 2 Developing funding opportunities to support the degree and certificate programs, as well as the non-credit courses and special events, to insure they remain top quality and relevant to our students' and the community's needs while minimizing the financial burden on taxpayers in this area.Key Issue 3 Insuring financial accountability and good value to the citizens of McHenry County.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?An exciting way to meet this challenge is by fully utilizing emerging technologies to develop more quality ""distance learning"" options, where students can do course work and participate in study groups and projects via computer, but still meet with faculty and other students in small groups for personalized attention. We can also continue to partner with the community to provide work-study and off-site education in specialized fields.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 equates into an educational benefit?The courses we offer must both be relevant to the students' interests and abilities and geared toward qualifying students for job opportunities. The college must do a good job of helping students to pick their courses wisely to achieve their personal and professional goals and to meet the requirements of a four-year college if they want to continue their education beyond the community college level.Is a tax rate increase needed and, if so, how do you justify it?In these tough economic times, and in light of the recent state income tax increase, any future tax increase at the county level should be avoided, and we should focus on wise financial management and developing new sources of funding.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?The college does a good job of offering diverse educational opportunities. However, given the widely felt impact of the current economic crisis, an increased focus on personal money management, how to save money, cut spending, plan for retirement, and understand changes in Medicare and the new health care legislation could reach people who, in the past, haven't seen the value of community college offerings to their lives.If you are a newcomer, what prompted you to run for the park board? If you're an incumbent, list your accomplishments or key initiatives in which you played a leadership role.I have lived in this county for over thirty-five years and personally benefited from the college's offerings. As a CSI advisory board member, I've seen the enthusiasm of the faculty members as they work to make the computer science curriculum exciting. And I've seen students proudly demonstrate their computer science projects to the CSI committee. Yet I have also been struck by problems the college has faced that, had they been addressed with better communication and planning, could have been solved with more efficient use of the the college's resources. I'm fortunate that I am at a point in my life where I have the skills and the desire to contribute in this area. Besides my legal training, I have administrative experience and education in accounting. MCC has the potential to be the best community college in northern Illinois, and that's a goal I'd be honored to work toward with the rest of the Trustees and the community as a whole.