Oakton Board elects new leadership, seats new student trustee

At the Oakton Community College Board of Trustees' organizational meeting on April 27, the trustees elected Martha Burns (Evanston) as the board's new chair for a one-year term. Also in the restructuring, Marie Lynn Toussaint (Evanston) was elected to serve as vice-chair and Paul Kotowski (Niles) as secretary. Akash Patel (Skokie) will serve as the new student trustee for the upcoming academic year.

Before the restructuring, trustees William Stafford (Evanston) and Benjamin Salzberg (Northbrook) were sworn into office after running unopposed in April's election. Both board members were re-elected to serve a six-year term.

Burns was elected to a six-year term on the Oakton Board of Trustees in 2017. She has been a civic leader in Evanston's educational organizations, nonprofits, public initiatives and political campaigns for two decades. Burns worked in social services at Community Economic Development Association (CEDA)/Evanston for more than 15 years. She is a current Executive member of the Organization for Positive Action and Leadership (OPAL) and a member of the local chapter

of the NAACP.

"I'm honored to have the opportunity to serve as Chair of Oakton's Board of Trustees - and I'm grateful for the trust my fellow trustees and community members placed in me." Burns said. "I look forward to strengthening communities within Oakton's district."

Toussaint began a six-year term as a trustee in 2019 and has served as a criminal defense attorney for more than two decades. She has extensive experience with diverse groups of individuals, ranging from young adults and their families to police officers, doctors, judges and court personnel.

Kotowski was elected to the board in 2017 and is serving a six-year term. An Oakton graduate, Kotowski practices law and serves as counsel for Injury Lawyers of Illinois, a law firm representing victims of wrongful death and catastrophic injuries.

Other members of the Board of Trustees include Evanston residents Gail Bush and Wendy B. Yanow. Both were elected to six-year terms in 2019.

Patel, a graduate of Niles North High School, is involved in the Student Government Association, Strategic Planning Committee and Academic Policies and Procedures Committee at the College.

For information about upcoming board meetings, visit https://www.oakton.edu/about/leadership/board_trustees/.