Kishwaukee College recognized two outgoing Board members at the Kishwaukee College Board of Trustees' special reorganizational meeting in April. Board Secretary Kathleen Spears and Trustee Kathleen Watkins were commended and received a plaque recognizing their dedicated service to the College.
Spears, of Shabbona, and Watkins, of DeKalb, received admiration from their fellow Board members for helping guide the College through the ever-changing landscape of higher education.
"We are grateful for Ms. Spears and Ms. Watkins's many years of leadership. Their service has helped shape our institution and inspired students and staff. Through dedicated leadership and vision, they leave a lasting impact in our community," said Bob Johnson, Chair of the Board of Trustees.
Both Watkins and Spears joined the Board with previous experience in local education. Spears joined the Board in 2007 after serving on the Indian Creek Community Unit School District 425 Board of Education. Watkins was elected in 2013 after serving as Executive Director of the Kishwaukee Education Consortium (KEC) for many years. With a collective 30 years of service, Spears and Watkins reflected fondly on many initiatives during their time on the Board.
"Without a doubt, the more memorable experiences have revolved around the graduation ceremonies. I'm so grateful for those students who choose to attend the graduation ceremonies as it has given me the chance to watch them and their families," Spears said.
"I think, as a Board, we have made great strides in the financial standing of Kishwaukee College. We have put ourselves in a very steady position moving forward," Watkins said. "Also, we have made several national presentations to the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) on programming and methodologies that I have been very proud of. We received great reviews, and they keep asking us to come back."
The Trustees also highlighted important initiatives such as the construction of a new Student Center, the hiring of current Kishwaukee College President Dr. Laurie Borowicz, and the efforts to reduce student costs by eliminating textbook and student fees. Watkins and Spears praised Kish faculty and staff for their efforts during challenging times.
"I am proud of our staff and our teachers. They have stepped up when they needed to. I am very proud of everyone at Kish who makes it a great place to learn and work," Watkins said.
"The creative responses of the faculty and staff during the pandemic were rewarding to see," Spears said. "We emerged from that time with creative ways to address instructional delivery systems and better meet the needs of our students."
While moving on from the Board positions, Watkins and Spears said they would remain in touch with the College and highlighted strong listening skills and active participation as key attributes for new Board members.
"Throughout their tenure, Ms. Spears and Ms. Watkins have provided thorough leadership and vision, helping guide Kishwaukee College through significant challenges and celebrate many successes. We are so lucky to have had their insights and advocacy in carrying on the College's mission and vision. We will miss their service," said Dr. Laurie Borowicz, President of Kishwaukee College.
Catherine Hopkins of Malta and David Lilja of Paw Paw were recently elected to fill the vacancies and were seated during the reorganizational meeting.
Learn more about Kishwaukee College and the Board of Trustees at kish.edu.