The Chronicle’s 2019 Consolidated Election Voters Guide: Three District 515 board candidates responded to our questionnaire, Octavia Altheimer, Quintella Bounds and Jay Readey.
PRAIRIE STATE COLLEGE DISTRICT 515 TRUSTEES
6-Year Term (vote for 2)
Octavia Altheimer
Altheimer
Education:
Doctorate in Health Administration, Central Michigan University
Master’s in Health Administration, Governors State Univerity
Bachelor’s in Health Administration, Governors State University
Associate Degree in Health Information Technology
Occupation:
Professor and Small Business Owner
Current employer: DeVry University; Columbia Southern University; South Suburban College
Family:
Married with 4 children and 2 stepchildren
Incumbent:
No
Other elected positions:
No, However, president of Bloom Township Democratic Organization.
Most important issues:
- Retention of students.
- The continuous increase in tuition.
- Lack of support for first generational students, Hispanic students and returning-to- college adults.
- Lack of transparency.
- Disparities in the Dental Hygiene and Nursing Programs.
Goals:
- To improve and enhance resources necessary for students to compete and win in the 21st century.
- To modernize career, technical and vocational education to put students on the path towards a family-sustaining job and career in the middle class.
- To work with industry partners to ensure that Prairie State College reflects employer demand and prepares students to succeed in the high-demand fields.
Quintella Bounds
Education:
Ph.D., Special Education Leadership
M. A., Multicategorical Special Education (LBS1)
B. S., Business Administration
Occupation:
Director of Special Services, Harvey School District 152
Family:
Married with three children and two grandchildren
Incumbent:
No
Other elected positions:
Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)
Past-President / President / President Elect of the Division for Culturally
and Linguistically Diverse Exceptional Learners (DDEL)
Most important issues:
Declining student enrollment; diversity; partnerships with surrounding districts/communities; financial status.
Declining student enrollment; diversity; partnerships with surrounding districts/communities; financial status.
Goals:
My goals are to ensure student enrollment increases; bridging a solid partnership with the surrounding districts/community; and student academic success becomes a priority at Prairie State College while being fiscally responsible.
Jay Readey
Education:
B.A.,Yale University, 1994
J.D., Yale Law School, 2004
MBA, Yale School of Management, 2004
Occupation:
Attorney at Ginsberg Jacobs, LLC and Community Development Consultant/Investor at RW Ventures, LLC; serving as managing director for the South Suburban Economic Growth Initiative and president of NeighborScapes NFP. Previously, ran workforce programming from Prairie State College
Family:
Spouse Lisa McGill and son Chad Readey, a sophomore at H-F High School.
Incumbent:
No
Other elected positions:
No
Most important issues:
Representation of the entire PSC District. For many years I have been an advocate for the South Suburbs as a whole: co-chair of the Southland Human Services Leadership Council, 10 years on the Board of South-Southwest Suburban United Way and an advocate of community and economic development across the South Suburbs. There are 22 towns and villages in the Prairie State District, but all of the PSC trustees live in one municipality.
Good government. For Prairie State to be successful as a regional driver of growth, we need to eliminate patronage hiring and firing, and have strong anti-nepotism and patronage rules.
Jobs and Workforce Development. Prairie State should be partnering directly with businesses training Southland residents for 21st century jobs.
Pathways to Opportunity. By strengthening PSC’s ties to both the feeder high schools *throughout the district* and 4-year colleges around the state, we strengthen the economic fortunes of all 22 of the communities in the district.
Goals:
Work with all 22 towns and villages in the district to draw students from throughout the district.
Work with businesses and employers to connect PSC students with jobs.
Work with businesses and employers to connect PSC students with jobs.
Run Prairie State College with the best standards of good government.
John Stanfa: No reply.
William McClinton: No reply.
Charles S. Dieringer Jr.: No reply.