Amanda Howland: 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: Lake ZurichWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: College Of Lake County School Board Age: Candidate did not respond.Family: Candidate did not respond.Occupation: AttorneyEducation: B.S. in Ed. (teaching emotionally disturbed/psychology) M.A. Psychology M.S. in Educational Administration Juris Doctor - special certification in Intellectual Property law Admitted to practice: Supreme Court of Illinois; Northern District of Illinois Federal District Court; United States Seventh Circuit Court of appeals; United States Supreme CourtCivic involvement: -15 year Member of Caring Women's Connection (501(c)(3). Raising funds to assist Staben House, A safe Place, and many other agencies that help women and children in need. -Lawyer focusing on public service in the areas of labor law, civil rights and child advocacy. -trained guardian ad litem, and a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA). -Chamber of Commerce member and active participant. -Member: ASPCA, Sierra Club, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention -Member Illinois State Bar Assoc.; Chicago Bar Assoc.; Pi Kappa Phi Honors Assoc.; Kappa Delta Pi Honors Assoc. -State ranked gymnastics judge (1997 to present)Elected offices held: -College of Lake County Trustee (2009 to present), Board Chairman 2013 to present. -CLC Board Secretary 2012-2013 -Marketing Chairman for the Caring Women's Connection (501(c)(3)) -Investigator - IL State Bar Association Judicial Evaluation Council (2003-present) -President of IL State Bar Association Intellectual Property Council(2005-05), Vice President (2004-05), Secretary (2003-04) - Vice President of Caravel Condominium Association (2003-05) -appointed to the Illinois High School Association Athletic Council (2013-2015)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?In my current position as Board member and Board Chairman I have worked with faculty and administration to ensure that CLC adds classes and/or faculty as needed so that we can provide for the changing needs of the employers and residents in Lake County. During the 6 years I have served on the board we have been forward thinking regarding expansion as well as updating technology. We are currently adding a state of the art science building on our Grayslake campus, adding a building to our Vernon Hills campus and significantly expanding our Waukegan campus. All of the new construction was planned over time, grants and state funding were applied for, and property was acquired at reasonable cost. It is important to plan ahead and anticipate needs. Board members should ask themselves "what changes are going to hit the college in the next five years and how can we deal with them?" Also,What we can do today to shape our community for tomorrow?Are you currently employed by or retired from a school district, if so, which one? Is any member of your direct family - spouse, child or child-in-law - employed by the school district where you are seeking a school board seat?None of the above apply.Is a tax rate increase needed and, if so, how do you justify it?As a Board member I have consistently looked for ways other than a tax increase in order to keep CLC moving forward. Fiscal responsibility has been a constant priority.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?I believe we are doing everything we can to meet the needs of Lake County residents and businesses. Illinois' Community Colleges serve over 74% of post secondary students but currently receive only 14% of state education dollars. If we had additional state and/or federal funds available I would like to see an increase in services for veterans as well as additional services for low income students.What do you think of President Obama's proposal for offering two years of free community college education?I believe students deserve a high-quality, affordable and accessible higher education. Providing this opportunity to those who may have thought college was not an option could significantly strengthen our workforce and improve quality of life for many. Tying such an opportunity to student success would benefit our county and our employers. It will be interesting to see if funding is available for such a program and what sources those funds might come from.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Community colleges are one of the best resources for a wide variety of people. We offer training for those looking to increase job skills or learn new skills. We offer adult education courses in a plethora of areas. We provide many Associate's degrees with credits that transfer to four year institutions. All of this is done for a reasonable cost. CLC is a resource that is extremely important to Lake County. I want to continue to work with the college and the county residents to ensure that CLC remains affordable, high quality, and in front of educational and job trends. In addition, fiscal responsibility and accountability are of the utmost importance. We rely mainly on taxpayer dollars and need to make sure we are using those dollars appropriately and effectively.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Candidate did not respond.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?If you work for what you want you will get there. Don't let others tell you that you can'tIf life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Candidate did not respond.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?I loved reading and foreign languages. My love of reading opened the world to me.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?It's never too late to learn something new.