McGuire, Birt poised to take COD seats
Retired teacher Dianne McGuire of Naperville was the clear winner of one of the two available, 6-year terms on the College of DuPage board of trustees on Tuesday, and Wheaton attorney Erin Birt won the other by a slim margin over James Long of Downers Grove.
With all 831 precincts counted, unofficial vote totals show McGuire with 45,361 votes and Birt with 33,099, followed by James Long of Downers Grove with 32,790, Mike Skarr of Naperville with 24,589 and Max Bochmann of Naperville with 17,526.
Birt and McGuire will help shepherd College of DuPage through its $415 million capital improvement plan, funded through a $168 million tax extension approved by voters last fall.
Projects include renovations to campus buildings, a Homeland Security Education Center and a new parking structure.
The new trustees will be sworn in at the April 28 board meeting.
McGuire, former president of the Naperville Unit District 203 teachers union, ran for state representative in the 96th House District in 2008 but lost to Darlene Senger.
Birt, a family law attorney and mediator, also is a COD student — she’s working toward becoming certified in drug and alcohol counseling.
The college’s district is made up of voters mainly from DuPage County, as well as small portions of Cook and Will counties.