I am only running because I have come to care about this college. I want to serve the college and to make a difference where I can. This experience helped me to understand what it is like to be an LCC student. Prior to that, I owned a small business for 14 years. I was also a Charge Nurse at a local nursing home and then worked for Hospice. These experiences have helped me to understand business p
ractices and budgets, and to also know how to look for and understand evidence. I think Board members need to have integrity, honesty, transparency, compassion, and be prudent with all things concerning the care of the college. A prudent, compassionate board member would try to understand the needs of the college and the community, on all levels, and would strive to find ways to address those needs. I am married to a Professor from LCC who has taught there for over 40 years and who has also served on the LCC Board himself. I have heard quite a bit about this college by listening to him and to his colleagues about how the college works. I attend most Board meetings, so that I can keep up with the current issues. I am a mother and a grandmother. I have also been a volunteer in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Issues that need to be addressed at LCC
• Enrollment: Enrollment decline has been a serious issue at LCC. I would like to see LCC strengthen its recruitment and advertising efforts. Recruiting efforts should not be limited to high school students. LCC needs to reach out to non-traditional students and to earlier grades. And bringing back some of the eliminated programs might also serve to attract more students. I would like to see the Board engage with both the campus and the community to address this issue.
• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: It is important for LCC to promote the value of diversity, equity, and inclusion at all levels, starting in elementary school. The Equity Action Plan that the recent LCC Board resolution calls for should go beyond the campus community. I would like to see the Plan include reaching out to K-12 students, whether through schools or through community organizations. The idea is to engage and intrigue the young people early on about cultures other than their own and to help them appreciate the value of diversity. At the college level, it is important that policies and procedures are continuously reviewed to ensure they don’t discriminate against anyone in terms of employment practices or how students are treated. It is important to ensure that every employee has the same opportunity to be promoted, and that everyone’s contribution is acknowledged. And it’s important to find ways to figure out the needs of students and employees, so that they don’t feel left behind.
• Shared Governance: Finally, I would like to see true shared governance at LCC. I believe getting everyone (faculty, staff, students, administrators, and board members) involved, rather than a top down model of governance, would help to promote student learning and student success. I have been endorsed by the Greater Lansing Labor Council, IBEW 665, MEA 8G PAC, and have received a Positive Rating from LAHR PAC.
