William Griffin: 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 ForestWebsite: williammgriffin@comcast.netOffice sought: College Of Lake County School Board Age: 61Family: Ada my partner and our two dogs Rascal and Lulu.Occupation: Retired Corporate Executive and presently Professor Business.Education: Licensed Teacher in Business Economics 6-12. Associate of Arts and Science. Bachelor of Science in Business. Master of Business Administration in Corporate Finance. Doctoral in Educational Leadership.Civic involvement: Trustee College of Lake County. Former Board member Lake County Boys Girls Club. Former Chairman of the Affordable Housing Commission of Lake County. Former Board member Keep Chicago Beautiful and Illinois Literacy Council.Elected offices held: Trustee College of Lake County 18 years.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?We continue to recognize the link between education and economic growth to make sure we have the right personnel and resources in place to meet the needs of our students and the workplace. As a board member we provide sound fiscal oversight to make sure we offer both affordability and academic excellence to all of our students.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?Prior to my teaching career I held various positions in the corporate world as a Chief Operating Officer, Senior Vice President, and General Manager in the utility and telecommunication industries. I am currently a full time Professor Business and Department Chair/Coordinator at Triton College.Is a tax rate increase needed and, if so, how do you justify it?No tax increase is needed.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?At the College of Lake County making diversity and multicultural awareness a college wide focus is one of our primary goals. We must continue to reach out to more of our demographically diverse students in Lake County. We have formed a Diversity Commission to help us make sure we a connecting to a multicultural world.What do you think of President Obama's proposal for offering two years of free community college education?I do not support offering two years of free community college. I do support existing programs such as Pell Grants, Workforce Investment Act, Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, Veteran Programs, and improved higher education tax provisions to assist students with financial aid.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?A candidate should have some experience managing large budgets, working with groups in a positive and productive manner, strong education and business background, and an understanding of the governance system in higher education.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Pope Francis.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?To be respectful and always tell the truth.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I wished I had served some time in the military.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?History because it is imperative to understand our past in order not to make the same mistakes again.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Work hard, be respectful, always tell the truth, get a good education, give back to your community and country.