Kish College BOT members recognized for their service

Kishwaukee College Board of Trustee members Bob Johnson, Board Chair, and Linda Mason, Trustee, were presented with awards by the Illinois Community College Trustees Association during Kish’s September Board meeting. Mason received the 25-Year Trustee Award, and Johnson received the Trustee Education Award. Pictured (left to right) are Jim Reed, ICCTA Executive Director, Mason and Johnson.

Two members of the Kishwaukee College Board of Trustees were recognized for their dedicated service by the Illinois Community College Trustees Association (ICCTA). Bob Johnson, Board Chair, and Linda Mason, Trustee, were praised by ICCTA Executive Director Jim Reed during Kish’s September Board meeting.

Mason, first elected to the Board in 1997, was recognized with the 25-Year Trustee Award. The ICCTA created the award to honor the longest-serving board members in Illinois’ community college system.

“As any trustee can tell you, serving on a local community college board demands countless hours of unpaid time, energy and patience,” Reed said. “Linda Mason is one of only 22 currently active Illinois trustees who have served on their local college boards for 25 years or more.”

Johnson, who has served on Kish’s Board since 2005 and as Board Chair since 2008, was recognized with the Trustee Education Award. It was Johnson’s fourth time receiving the distinction. Johnson has completed nearly 250 hours of leadership training and professional development throughout his tenure on the Kish Board.

“One of our most sought-after awards recognizes the accomplishments of trustees as they achieve this commitment to continuing education,” Reed said. “This year, Bob Johnson earned his fourth Trustee Education Award. Four-time recipients have participated in at least 60 ICCTA professional development activities during their tenure as trustees.”

“Both of these awards show the dedication and commitment our Board members have to the students of Kishwaukee College and the residents of our district,” said Dr. Laurie Borowicz, President of Kishwaukee College. “Bob, Linda and all of our Trustees work tirelessly to serve our students and the greater community, and it is wonderful to see them recognized for their efforts.” 

Last October, Johnson was also recognized with the Award of Merit by the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences Alumni Association. The accolade highlighted Johnson’s work within the community and on the Kish Board as he followed in the footsteps of his father, Laverne “Dutch” Johnson, a founding Board member of Kishwaukee College.

To learn more about Kishwaukee College, visit kish.edu.