Logan trustee hopefuls discuss issues at forum
CARTERVILLE - With the election just five days away, the five candidates for the two open spots on the John A. Logan Board of Trustees faced off before the voters Wednesday in a candidates forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Jackson County on the campus they want to serve.
LWVJC President Laura Van Abbema was the moderator and asked eight timely and pertinent questions that each candidate had two minutes to distinguish himself from the other four.
The discussion was wide-ranging concerning increasing enrollment and retention of students, spending priorities, lack of transparency in the hiring of administrative positions and nepotism, the role of retired faculty, the 2016 layoffs, the ratio between full-time and adjunct faculty, integration with SIUC and their vision for the future of John A. Logan.
The two men who currently hold the two spots faced off against three other challengers. William "Bill" Kilquist is the chairman of the Board of Trustees and is seeking his third six-year term on the board while William "Bill" Orrill is seeking his first six-year term after serving one year on the board after being appointed to fill out the term of Cheryl Graff, who had resigned.
Kilquist is at the end of his second stint on the board having served from 2005 to 2010 before running and winning again in 2013. After graduating from SIUC, Kilquest was a Carbondale police officer/detective (1971-82), Jackson County Sheriff (1982-03) and warden of the Illinois Youth Centers in Murphysboro and Harrisburg (2003-08).
Kilquist's pitch during his summation for his re-election was simple and to the point.
"I've clearly demonstrated my abilities to the people of the district for the last 45 years," Kilquist said. "Talk comes cheap in campaigns, but demonstrated ability is the real deal. My actions have allowed me to deliver on promises I've made to you. I promised I would protect your tax dollars at Logan and you are now fiscally sound. I delivered on that promise. I promised that your children would get the best education that money could buy. We have the best instructors and the cheapest tuition in the state. I delivered on that promise. I promised you transparency in all board meetings and dealings. There are no more closed sessions. I delivered on that promise. I promised you that you would get nothing, but honesty and integrity from me. Promises made were promises kept."
Orrill is also a graduate of SIUC and previously was president of Morgan Commercial Structures in Murphysboro for 14 years before becoming a labor representative and he emphasized that during his summation.
"I am not from academia, I'm from business and industry, so one thing you're going to get out of me is honesty," Orrill said. "I will vote the way I think is necessary to support the students and the community and that's what community college is all about. I have no ulterior motives whatsoever. I have no friends that need a job. I have no family that needs a job. My motive, if I have one, is civic responsibility. I want to give back to a college that's helped myself and a lot of other people in Southern Illinois and perpetuate that in the future."
The three other candidates also have varied backgrounds. Rev. John Hackmann II, the Directing Pastor of the Marion First United Methodist Church, is the newest to the area having moved to Marion in 2016 after serving four years as Senior Pastor at the Coulterville United Methodist Church.
"I want to this to be an institution where we will continue to feel comfortable sending my children to," Hackmann said. "Being from outside of this community, but still from Southern Illinois I've been able to see how many other places are able to encourage students to attend and bring in new ideas. I serve on a lot of boards for our church and know how to work with people."
Local businessman Aaron Smith is a son of Southern Illinois. The 37-year old is co-owner of a commercial construction firm, Smith Hafeli, Inc., in Marion and is a graduate of Trico High School, John A. Logan and SIUC. Smith stated his reasons for running for the Board.
"The image of the college is not high and I will note that it was when it was named in the Top 10 in the country," Smith said. "Students are fewer than they were in the 1980s and, yes, the president of the college recently said his bosses are doing a great job, but the (real) image of the school is known throughout Southern Illinois. There's a reason the image of the college is low. There's a reason that two sitting state representatives have endorsed me. There's a reason the retirees of this college have put out nearly 250 signs for me, written countless letters and made countless calls for me. The reason is this. The stakes are high and the problems are real. A vote for me is a vote to restore confidence in the school and for the faculty to have confidence in a board that will not target them, but support them."
John Streuter is a local banker and a 29-year resident of Carterville. He is a graduate of SIUC and has strong roots in the local community as a member of the Carterville Rotary and the Chamber of Commerce among many other civic organizations.
"The key is whether the candidates have the vision that will serve the college well," Streuter said. "Two of the candidates (Kilquist and Orrill) will continue the current vision and mission of a college that is experiencing declining enrollment year after year. Two candidates will continue the policy of patronage jobs and creating fear among the faculty and staff. It is time for you to decide."