Barbara Walters: Candidate Profile

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:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: Crystal LakeWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Mchenry Commmunity College School Board (6-year Terms)Age: Candidate did not respond.Family: Mother of three adults.Occupation: CEO of Ameritrust Mortgage Corporation.Education: Associate of Science degree from McHenry County College.Civic involvement: McHenry County College Trustee/Board member. This is a non-compensated position.Elected offices held: McHenry County College Trustee.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: No.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 I am an advocate for the taxpayers. I oversee the college's budget so that funds are used expeditiously and for the benefit of student learning.Key Issue 2 Promoting fields of study (nursing, culinary, automotive, etc.,) that serve the needs of our local community and make our graduates employable.Key Issue 3 To promote continued opportunities for all high school students and well as returning students and adults.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?MCC has more than one physical location in the county, in addition to online classes. Not all classes require brick and mortar and the online classes have been very successful.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?Students receive excellent career planning advice while at MCC. Our academic advisors provide excellent guidance to make sure they understand which skill sets are in demand, and which will be rewarded after graduation.Is a tax rate increase needed and, if so, how do you justify it?In these challenging economic times, it isn't feasible to ask the taxpayers to shoulder a heavier tax burden.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?MCC is welcoming to all people who want to learn. I don't think any segments of the population are excluded.If you are a newcomer, what prompted you to run for the community college board? If you're an incumbent, list your accomplishments or key initiatives in which you played a leadership role.As an incumbent, I have been involved in the development of the nursing and culinary programs, the increase in the Crystal Lake campus by analyzing/recommending the adjacent land acquisition, and the acquisition of the Shah Center to promote business-related courses.