ICC Board of Trustees election this Tuesday
Five candidates are running in ICC District #514 for the Board of Trustees. One candidate will be running in a noncompetitive race, while the other four candidates will be on the ballot on April 1, of which voters can vote for two.
The four candidates in the competitive race that voters can vote for are Kim Armstrong, Christine Bare-Kemper, Diane Unes Lamb, and Gale Thetford.
The Board of Trustees is made up of elected officials who are the governing body for ICC. The president of ICC, currently Dr. Sheila Quirk-Bailey, reports directly to the board of trustees.
The ICC Bylaws of the Board of Trustees lists four responsibilities of the board: “To appoint the the president, other administrative personnel, and all teachers,” “to fix the principal objectives and policies of the institution,” “to hold, preserve, and invest the assets of the district,” and “to represent the institution to the public.”
The ICC Board of Trustees Bylaws can be found here.
Kim Armstrong
“I am running because I have served as vice president for [ICC’s] Marketing and Outreach for the last six and a half years,” Kim Armstrong said. “I knew I was going to retire this year. I knew there were openings on the board, and I thought it was a great way to be able to give back to the college.”
Armstrong says she believes her experience with marketing at ICC has allowed her to understand the many areas of ICC, as the ICC website, admissions, marketing, and all college events are under her purview.
Armstrong says her main goal as a trustee is to ensure that the community knows of the opportunities and good experiences ICC has to offer.
“I really want to be here to support the college and make sure that the community understands all of our good work,” Armstrong said.
Armstrong also urges ICC students to vote, specifically mentioning how students who have classes at Peoria campus can vote in Arbor Hall.
Armstrong retires on Monday, the day before the Board of Trustees election.
Christine Bare-Kemper
Christine Bare-Kemper, who is running for the first time, and her campaign did not respond by the time of publication when reached out for an interview.
On her campaign website, she says she is committed to “modernizing our approach to education while maintaining academic excellence, strengthening partnerships between ICC and local employers, ensuring fiscal responsibility and transparent governance, and expanding opportunities for career and technical education.”
Diane Unes Lamb
“Well, I think what we’re doing is important. ICC is a great asset. It has literally changed my life and the life of everyone in my family,” Diane Unes Lamb, who is running for reelection, said. “The fact that [ICC] is right here in central Illinois. The quality, the accessibility that we have right here in our midst. It is important.”
Lamb first came to ICC to study accounting. While she didn’t finish that degree, she says she used the information she learned to get a job as a bookkeeper. Lamb then came back to ICC years later and graduated with a degree in science. During her second time at ICC, Lamb helped her fellow students out as an algebra tutor and was a part of the S.A.F.E. Club.
Lamb says she believes her background in business and her enjoyment of connecting with students has helped her with her responsibilities as a trustee.
“I feel like there is more to do because of the current federal climate. We can’t depend on it. We have to just do what we need to do, to keep prices down and to keep the quality there,” Lamb said.
Gale Thetford
“I would like to continue to work to increase enrollment, and more importantly student success rates,” Gale Thetford, who is currently a trustee and is also running for reelection, said. “I think it is important to hold the line on tuition as much as possible and address the many challenges that I believe our students face.”
If reelected, Thetford says she would like to support workforce initiatives, improve ICC’s childcare center, and ensure that the ICC food pantry is well supplied.
Thetford has been on the board for 12 years, with a background in law, graduating from the Southern Illinois University School of Law. Thetford has also served for eight years on the Peoria City Council.
“This particular board has been my primary focus for some time, although I have previously served on multiple boards at one time,” Thetford said. “Really, I value education above all else.”