CLC president hitting circuit to tell school’s story

College of Lake County President Jerry Weber is hitting the speaking circuit in front of local businesses and community organizations in an effort to raise the school’s profile.

Weber made the Daily Herald his latest stop Wednesday morning, saying the outreach is necessary because the college still is a “secret” to some Lake County residents and companies.

“I’d say to (some groups) we have three campuses and they’d say, ‘You do?’ And then I’d say we’re 18,000 students now and some people would go, ‘You are?’” Weber said.

CLC has a good, updated story to tell, Weber said. For example, CLC is pushing to further relationships with high schools with college readiness programs and becoming a leader in growing a “green” economy.

Weber said CLC has created a website for local businesses that want to promote environmental efforts tied in with coupons for consumers. CLC also is trying to procure more local organic food for eateries at the school.

“You really can get a lot more done if you work together with different community groups,” he said.

CLC’s main campus in Grayslake is augmented by Waukegan’s Lakeshore Campus and Southlake Campus in Vernon Hills.

Weber said he hopes boosting CLC’s profile will lead to more donations for the school’s privately operated foundation. CLC Foundation provided about $500,000 in scholarships to students for the 2010-11 academic year.

After serving as Kankakee Community College’s president for about eight years, Weber took over at CLC in 2009.

He still was at the Kankakee school in December 2008 when he and other community college leaders were invited to Washington to discuss sustainability and renewable energy with President Barack Obama’s transition team.