Joseph M. Wozniak: Candidate Profile

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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:BioQA Bio City: NapervilleWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: College Of DuPage School Board Age: Candidate did not respond.Family: wife and 1 son.Occupation: DuPage Co. Regional School TrusteeEducation: Governor State University B.A.Civic involvement: Currently Grand Knight, St.Elizabeth Seton council 10025 Knights of Columbus Lisle Township Precinct CommitteemanElected offices held: Currently,for almost 12 years: DuPage County Regional School TrusteeQuestions Answers What can the board do to help improve the relationship between the administration and its employees, including full-time faculty members?The board can promote an "open door" policy with the students, administration, employees, and faculty. A possible monthly meeting can be set up with all the college personnel, faculty, and administration thru a meeting with a representative of each group and a selected board member who will be responsible to bring ideas back to the rest of the board. Also members of the college should be able to email board members with their suggestion at any time.Are you currently employed by or retired from a school district, if so, which one? Is any member of your direct family - spouse, child or child-in-law - employed by the school district where you are seeking a school board seat?I am not a teacher and no one in my family is or was a teacher.With enrollment up, what should COD be doing as far as available classroom/lab space, staffing and course work options to keep pace with the growth?the college enrollment is actually down from 35,000 students in 2000 and 31,000 in 2004, as opposed to 29,000 students in 2014 extra capacity can be addressed thrpu adding more evening classes as well as additional online internet classes. If need in the future COD can construct the teaching and learning center talked about possibly by using some of the $170,000,000 in "reserve" cash on hand, without additional cost to the taxpayers and without jeopardizing the reserve fund in general, as some of this reserve fund may be needed to offset future teacher pension obligations.The board recently agreed to keep the college's operating property tax levy flat for this year. Is the college reaching a point where a tax levy increase is needed? If yes, how do you justify it? If no, why do you believe that?No, an increased tax levy is not needed at COD. Thru proper management an increase in tax levy should not be needed in the next few years. One change could be if the state keeps reducing its payments as it has in recent years where the state still owes COD millions of dollars. I am hoping this will change with new leadership at the state level.According to a recent Daily Herald report, COD board members approved more than $26 million in spending over a 16-month period without seeing what they were specifically paying for. That's because of a long-standing board policy that allows administrators to pay bills of less than $15,000 without providing itemized reports. Should that policy be changed? Why or why not?The boards policy has been to not review spending limits under $15,000. I believe the board should lower this figure to $5,000 as is the limit set by most community colleges. The board can then review items below $5,000 when even a member chooses. A change I would insist on the board reviewing monthly expense accounts of the president and all senior management level officers to eliminate any possible abuse of the system.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?First NO MORE golden parachute buyouts at COD. Also several important items are on the horizon for COD in the immediate future. One item being the overseeing of finding a new COD president and how the presidential search will be done. We definitely will have to bring in more transparency at all levels I would probably help to have a board member class covering the open meeting act details as well as ask board members to participate in ICCTA and board attorney presentations and trustee classes available thru the ICCTA and ACCT trustee associations. Always remember to serve the public thru the best of your abilities.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Pope FrancisWhat's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Be caringIf life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Candidate did not respond.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Real EstateIf you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Be a person of honor