Endorsements: Walsh, Allen, Arevalo, Hoban and Suffield for McHenry County College board
A lot has changed at McHenry County College over the past five years. Intense debates over taxes and spending are largely a thing of the past. A $17 million science center that once was a source of controversy has opened to rave reviews from students, faculty and the public. Enrollment continues to rise when many of the school's peers are seeing declines. And the college president hired three years ago has proved to be a unifying figure so popular that the college board recently added two years onto his contract, more than a year before his initial deal is set to expire.
The challenge that now lies ahead for the college's next board of trustees is to keep the positive momentum rolling. Voters next month will elect five candidates to the seven-member panel - three to six-year terms, one for a four-year term, and one for a two-year term.
For the six-year term, we were most impressed by incumbent Molly Walsh of Crystal Lake, whose zeal for the college is matched by her creative proposals for making it better. We also endorse fellow incumbent Tom Allen of Lakewood, a longtime supporter of the college who has good ideas about expanding the technical and healthcare programs. And we endorse Carlos Arevalo, an attorney from Marengo who not only would bring legal knowledge to the panel, but a diverse perspective. Mary Lou Siddon, Maija Mizons and James Young also are seeking a six-year term.
The race for the four-year term features three strong candidates, all of whom would be worthy of endorsement. But Suzanne Hoban of Woodstock, the founder and director of a health clinic for underserved residents, stands out slightly given her leadership experience and ideas better engaging the college community. Cheryl Dawson of Harvard and Drew Georgi of Hebron also deserve consideration.
The race for a two-year term features a pair of newcomers: Elizabeth Speros of Crystal Lake and Peter Suffield of Cary. Both are well-qualified, but Suffield gets our nod for his more extensive experience in higher education and strong proposals to build better relationships with four-year schools. We endorse Walsh, Allen, Arevalo, Hoban and Suffield.