Oakton candidates look to bring unique perspective to board

A trio of candidates — a longtime trustee, the student trustee and an entrepreneur — are vying for two seats on the Oakton Community College board of trustees.

They’re all touting the unique perspective they’d bring to the Des Plaines campus during the six-year term, each wanting to work toward providing excellent education at an affordable cost.

Northbrook retiree Jody Wadhwa, 76, said that when he was first elected to the board in 1987, Oakton was known by many as “Joketon” and that not even his children wanted to attend.

But the former chief operating officer said he’s helped shape Oakton into a quality institution by emphasizing the idea that standards should be high and never compromised.

In addition to advocating for seniors and returning students who want to retrain or hone their skills, Wadhwa is pushing for a program that would provide a guarantee for vocational students who could repeat a course for free if they don’t meet an employer’s standards.

“It also means accountability because I’d want to know what professor or instructor gave that passing grade,” he said.

Wadhwa has been collaborating this school year with student Trustee Eric Staley, a 37-year-old Northfield resident who’s working toward his associates of arts degree at Oakton.

Staley said he fell in love with the respectful and helpful atmosphere he found on campus, and he believes he represents the growing number of adults who need to add to their skill set by enrolling at a community college.

“The board runs a really tight ship, and their hearts and minds are in the right place,” said Staley, who owns a business designing and building organic vegetable gardens. “I feel I can contribute to it.”

Staley said that besides maintaining high academic, environmental and cultural standards at Oakton, he wants to help oversee the five-year, $68.5 million construction and renovation plan that will add 75,000 square feet of infrastructure to the campus, including a science and health building.

He said Oakton is fortunate to have a low tax rate due to the district’s dense population, and he’s hopeful the project will be funded not through a tax increase, but rather bonds, government grants, reserves and student fees.

Newcomer Patricia Harada, a 55-year-old Wilmette resident, said her primary goal is to maintain competitive tuition rates in order to make programs and services accessible.

“With the challenges and opportunities presented by today’s dynamic global economy, education and especially retraining are more important than ever,” said Harada, an executive at a company that provides energy project financing and LED lighting products.

Harada, who’s also an arbitrator in the Circuit Court of Cook County, said she’d bring a fresh- and open-minded perspective guided by her business and legal skills, as well as her experience as a volunteer and education advocate.