Michael W Skarr: 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: NapervilleWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: College of DuPageAge: 67Family: My wife Mary Ann of 45 years and I have three grown sons and seven grandchildrenOccupation: President CEO, Not-For-Profit Strategies and Solutions, LLCEducation: B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Marquette University, 1965MBA, Lewis Univerity, 1980Civic involvement: President, Friends for Lisle Township FoundationMember of the DuPage Workforce BoardBoard member,Center for Applications-Based Learning FoundationFormer member and Chairman, Illinois State Board of Education, 1991 -1997Elected 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 Good governance and oversight -making sure the college has appropriate policies in place and that they are used in making good decisionsKey Issue 2 Accountability - publically reporting measurable and objective outcomes to those who support and utilize our servicesKey Issue 3 Leadership - focusing on positioning the college for the futureQuestions 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?Managing the College of DuPage is the responsibility of the President and his staff - I would ask that they bring options forward for the Board's review and possible action.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 College of DuPage is the ""turn to"" community resource particularly during diffcult economic times. The College of DuPage represents great value given the possible rewards for improving one's employability or life skills.Is a tax rate increase needed and, if so, how do you justify it?A ""brick mortar"" refereundum was just passed. I see no need to propose an education fund increase given today's challenging economic times.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?Continuing to improve the college's offerings to our senior citizen population is critical given the growth and increased longevity in that sector in DuPage County.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.Everyone needs to particiapte in a democaracy and I felt this was a time for me to do my part. Thank you for the opportunity.