New blood needed on Waubonsee board

New blood needed on Waubonsee board

In the upcoming election, four candidates are in the running for Waubonsee Community College trustee. Two seats are open for six-year terms. Of the four candidates, three recently spoke at the candidates' forum in Sugar Grove.

Candidate Emmett Bonfield impressed me with his straightforward approach to cost-control of the college's expenses. He finds much waste in Waubonsee's spending, particularly in top management's salaries. He sees much "mission creep" in what Waubonsee has become, as opposed to why it was originally established 50 years ago. If elected, Mr. Bonfield promises he will serve only one six-year term because "New people are needed to bring new ideas."

Candidate Jimmie Delgado has come up through the Waubonsee student system, and is an example of what a community college is intended to do: to provide an affordable basic college education as a steppingstone to higher education and a career. Because of his background, I see him bringing unique insights to Waubonsee's board of trustees.

Rebecca Oliver is a Waubonsee trustee incumbent. She is running for a fourth six-year term, thus she has already been on the board for 18 years. Yes, I said 18 years. I'm sorry, but that is too long for anyone to be on the board of any publicly-funded institution. She has probably done a good job, but it's time for a change.

New problems and circumstances call for new people bringing new ideas.

I recommend Emmett Bonfield and Jimmie Delgado to be elected to the two six-year terms as trustees of Waubonsee Community College District 516.

Dennis C. Ryan

Elburn