Two incumbents, newcomer vie for Harper board

The race for two spots on the Harper College board of trustees features two incumbents and a candidate who has dabbled in suburban politics, but has little connection to the community college.

Current Board Vice Chair Walt Mundt, elected in 2011, is seeking a second 6-year term, while Trustee Pat Stack, appointed in 2015 to fill a vacancy, is now running for a full term. Phil Collins, who served as a Libertyville Township trustee from May 2013 until moving to Wheeling in January 2016, said he sought out an office in a larger area where he could serve more people.

Mundt, a sales director from Palatine, said the college's financial position is strong, despite decreased state funding, and he believes campus building upgrades completed and in progress are necessary to benefit the college in the long run.

He said it's important to make sure Harper informs students about the cost of education and implications for compiling debt, while promoting what grants and scholarships are available.

"An affordable education is out there and the goal is to be able to get to graduate with as minimal student loans as possible, because if they do not graduate and they do hold student debt, they're worse off than when they came into the college," Mundt said in an interview with the Daily Herald Editorial Board.

Stack, of Barrington, who retired in 2014 as vice president of performance improvement for Northwest Community Hospital, said she'd use her experience to make sure the college is hitting its student success targets. The role of the board, she says, is to "keep the pressure on to keep getting better."

"We should be the best in the state and the region and we should be recognized nationally for what we're doing," Stack said.

Stack has supported campus facility upgrades, but says plans for additional long-term improvements may need to be scaled back if there's fewer people on campus. She said she'd also like to see the college expand its online course offerings.

Collins, a human resources generalist, said if elected he would provide highlights of board meetings on Facebook, like he did as a township trustee, and would use social media to engage with constituents.

When asked for his views on college finances, Collins said he would make sure spending doesn't increase much, or cut spending if needed, though he didn't offer ideas of where to cut. He said he would email faculty and students to get their suggestions.

Collins has led several write-in campaigns for state and local offices, including the Cook County recorder of deeds post in November. He is chairman of the Illinois Center Right Coalition, a conservative group.

Newcomer Herb Johnson of Inverness is running unopposed for the 2-year seat Stack is vacating.