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Shane Nowak: 2025 candidate for Elgin Community College board

Bio

Office sought: Elgin Community College District 509 board (Vote for 2)

City: Elgin

Age: No answer given

Occupation: Office worker

Previous offices held: Elgin Community College Trustee since 2019

Why are you running for this office, whether for re-election or election the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you?

I have decided to run for re-election to continue to advance the agenda the voters elected me on six years ago. This agenda included starting a mentorship program (open to all students), and expanding curriculum to promote blue collar jobs like expanding our successful trucking program.

ECC recently broke ground on our new manufacturing building in December 2024 and has an expected completion date in 2026 (a few years into my second term — if I am re-elected). These are just a few agenda items I hope to continue to work on during a second term as trustee for the students, taxpayers and employees of the college.

In tough economic times, many students (and working professionals) turn to a community college for its educational value. How do you ensure that a person’s financial sacrifice results in an educational benefit?

One of my proudest accomplishments was working to keep tuition frozen for students during five of my six years on the board. This helped minimize the financial stress on our students and their families to help them as they pursue their aspirations and dreams. We also work to make sure there is a need within the community for programs we offer so that our students can immediately enter into their fields after graduation.

How would you describe the state of your college’s finances? What issues will your district have to confront in coming years and what measures do you support to address them? If you believe cuts are necessary, what programs and expenses should be reduced or eliminated? On the income side, do you support any tax or fee increases?

The college’s financial state is excellent. ECC has $120 million in reserves, and we have an AAA bond rating. A big issue facing the college is that our four K-12 feeder schools district are seeing their respective populations declining.

Therefore, ECC is focused more on adult learning to make sure we continue at a stable enrollment rate. The college does review all of our programs to make sure they are needed and we do sunset programs. Most recently, ECC started to offer a respiratory care program last semester due — the need from our partners in the health care industry. I do not support tax increases, especially with inflation still high — and it’s not the right time to increase that burden our taxpayers.

What are three specific non-financial challenges your community college will have to face in the next four years and what are your thoughts about how each should be addressed?

A big issue facing the college, which I already stated in my previous answer, is that our four K-12 feeder schools district’s respective population are declining. Therefore, we are focusing more on adult learning to make sure we continue at a stable enrollment rate.

The second issue is trying to get more students to engage with campus life. The data has shown that students who engage with campus life have greater success over the duration of their time as a student. Student life has done more outreach to incoming students to try to get them engage with the college.

The third issue is getting students to graduate sooner rather than later. We have started a program called “Just One More” in which we are trying to encourage our students to take just one more class each semester to get our student to graduate sooner.

Describe your experience working in a group setting to determine policy. What is your style in such a setting to reach agreement and manage school district policy? Explain how you think that will be effective in producing effective actions and decisions of your school board.

The most important aspect of working within a group is to listen to all of the opinions and understand where each other are coming from and then make a decision. My personal style is normally to let everyone give their opinion first (before giving my own) and I try to keep my comments brief and straight to the point to keep the discussion moving forward. It is also very important to attend meetings (as that is the expectation of our voters) — and I have prefect attendance for the last six years of my service on the ECC board.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?

I have a proven track record of leadership on the board, whether it was from starting a mentorship program or getting funding to expanding our trucking program, and to fiscal leadership — by never voting for a property tax increase. I hope to continue my leadership on the board if the voter chooses me again for a second term.

What’s one good idea you have to better your district that no one is talking about yet?

A proposal I have been an advocate for is adding walk paths through the wetland on the property of the college. This would be beneficial to our students in a variety of ways. It would allow more outdoor spaces for our students to walk, the nature conscience students an opportunity to study the wildlife and native ecosystem, or even provide students, community members and staff with all the inspiration which nature can bring.

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