Meeting Summary and Briefs: Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees for August 12, 2026

Joliet Junior College | August 12, 2026

The Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees opened the 2026-27 academic year with a meeting that ran two hours and 37 minutes and ended with the board’s vice chair post still empty. Trustees rejected all three nominations for vice chair in a series of split votes, after first defeating a motion to table the item; that fight is covered in a separate story. Trustees also approved two months of bills over a trustee’s objections about rebranding costs, backed the college’s membership in the Illinois Economic Development Corporation by a 5-1 vote, approved four sets of overdue meeting records by identical 5-1 margins, and heard that fall enrollment is up nearly 9%.

Along the way the board welcomed new Trustee Tim Bradley to his first regular meeting, proclaimed September’s Hispanic Heritage Month, recognized a retiring adjunct faculty member of 22 years, and learned that six Lincoln-Way students have earned a JJC associate degree alongside their high school diploma. Each of those items is covered separately. The briefs below collect the remaining business.

Closed Session Runs 40 Minutes

Trustees entered closed session at 6:31 p.m. on a motion by Trustee Alicia Morales, seconded by Trustee Elaine Bottomley, citing reasons 2(c)11 and 2(c)21 of the Open Meetings Act. All six trustees present voted yes, and the minutes record that Student Trustee Byron McCullum favored the motion. The board returned to public session at 7:11 p.m. on a motion by Morales, seconded by Trustee Diane Harris, again with all six in favor. No formal action can be taken in closed session, and the minutes record no action arising from the discussion on return. A second closed session was listed on the agenda as item 6 but was not held.

Foundation Commits $100,000 a Year to Student Emergency Fund

Amanda Quinn, executive director of institutional advancement, told trustees the JJC Foundation board has committed $100,000 a year for three years to the JJC Student Emergency Fund, “because we lost some of that federal money and our students are in need.” The first payment to the college has been made, with a second to follow for the spring semester. A back-to-school appeal mailing to 25,000 alumni and friends was due to go out the following week — an additional appeal the foundation does not normally run. Quinn said the foundation finished fiscal year 2026 with grants totaling $12,754,783, is already above $7 million for the current year, and is waiting on five outstanding federal grants, including TRIO funds.

More Than $1 Million in Fall Scholarships Awarded

Quinn said the foundation has awarded more than $1 million in fall scholarships and expects to approach the $1.4 million it awarded across all of last year. She credited a decision by the foundation board to allocate a higher share of investment interest to scholarships. Asked by Morales for a headcount, Quinn estimated roughly 600 to 700 students have been awarded so far, with the year likely to finish between 800 and 900. Spring scholarship applications open Oct. 15 and close Nov. 30. Quinn said a single application places students in every pool they qualify for — “sometimes 40” — and that the dashboard shows them what they did and did not qualify for.

J Building Facade Nearly Done; Master Plan on Pause

Delivering the Buildings and Grounds Committee report in place of Bottomley, McCullum said the J building exterior facade is 90% to 95% complete and remains the lone outstanding item from the committee’s completed-projects list, which also included the 2026 pavement maintenance program and the main campus emergency generator replacement. The committee reviewed updates on the Public Safety Institute, the Facility Master Plan and the Manufacturing Training Academy. McCullum said the master plan “has been on pause as of late” while planners redefine the five- to 10-year horizon, that the training academy is “going on steadily with great progress,” and that there was no update on the Grundy County expansion.

Board Honors Retiring Adjunct Art Instructor

Dr. Amy Gray read a recognition for retiring adjunct faculty member Gary Schirmer, who taught studio art courses in the visual arts program within the fine arts department for 22 years. Gray said Schirmer encouraged students “to get out of their comfort zone, to try new things,” used a variety of mediums, and drew on his own experience as a working artist to show students how to believe in themselves and their artwork. “He always has gone the extra mile, not just looking at the student and what they are learning academically, but looking at them as a whole person,” she said. Harris moved approval, seconded by Bottomley; the recognition was approved on a voice vote with all in favor.

Workforce Contract Trainings Cost $15,000 Less

Morales pulled consent item 3.2.4, contract trainings for corporate and community service, to put details on the public record. She said the item came in $15,000 below the prior year’s figure and covers services including forklift training. Information provided to the board showed the provider coordinated 38 training sessions for nine employers, serving 324 participants — an average of 27 per month. “I think these things are things that probably the public isn’t aware of, how much the community college expands their services out in the community with workforce development,” Morales said. The item passed unanimously on a motion by Harris, seconded by McCullum.

Clean Energy Incubator Logs 600 Advising Hours

Namuo told trustees the college has successfully launched the CEJA Clean Energy Contractor Incubator, a resource for clean energy contractors and small businesses that he described as having a similar mission to the Entrepreneur and Business Center but focused on clean energy. In its first year, he said, the incubator completed more than 600 one-on-one advising hours, developed a contractor education program covering business formation and financials, and hosted 16 seminars for members. The college separately approved a Climate and Equitable Jobs Act internship item on the consent agenda as No. 3.2.10.

Consent Agenda Carries 17 Items, Six Policies

With items 3.1, 3.2.4 and 3.2.6 pulled for separate votes, the remainder of the consent agenda passed 6-0. It included the resignation of the executive director of strategic engagement; appointment of a full-time tenure-track assistant professor in the health services department; a revised compensation placement for a full-time associate professor and GAP advisor in STEM; settlement of workers compensation claim W004505216; the classified staff report; purchases and agreements covering a Ventrac tractor mower, curriculum and academic pathways software, a Johnson Controls service agreement, Microsoft Unified Support, Blackbaud subscription and maintenance, digital signage management, an automated dispensing cabinet and advanced patient simulation equipment; the treasurer’s and financial reports; the sale of college personal property; and second-reading approval of six board policies — 01.85.00 on building and location identification, 02.01.02 on nepotism, 02.04.12 on annual position review requests, 02.16.01 on drug and alcohol testing, 02.16.02 on a drug-free workplace and 03.14.00 on the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act.

Youth Group Seeks Partnership With Business Center

Robin Ballard, director of marketing and creative services, introduced Amy Sanchez, director of operations and strategic development at the Joliet Unity Movement, which Sanchez said is closing its 12th year and beginning its 13th. The organization began as a youth group formed by justice-impacted individuals, she said, and has expanded into home ownership and financial literacy programming with partners including Habitat for Humanity. Sanchez said the group has launched a curriculum called the Justice Impact Institute examining neighborhood change, disinvestment, mass incarceration and the war on drugs, and that its annual 815 Youth Day draws upward of 500 participants. She said she wants to connect participants to the college’s Entrepreneur and Business Center at the City Center campus: “To hear that a lot of the target audience is justice-impacted individuals, I said, this is a perfect match.”

Trustees Urged to Attend Springfield, Chicago Conferences

Harris, the board’s representative to the Illinois Community College Trustees Association and the Association of Community College Trustees, said the next ICCTA meeting is Sept. 18-19 in Springfield and encouraged Bradley to attend, noting trustees earn a trustee education certificate. The ACCT annual leadership congress runs Oct. 21-24 in Chicago, she said, with trustees from across the country attending and campus tours at JJC under discussion. McCullum, who is scheduled to attend, drew laughs by noting the conference is in his own backyard.

New Adjunct Union President Reports In

Mary Klinger gave her first report as adjunct faculty union president, telling trustees there is little to report before classes begin. The adjunct dinner is next week, she said, “and we’re looking forward to having a great school year.”

Purple Chair Installed as Permanent Reminder

Namuo closed his report by unveiling a purple chair holding a backpack that will remain in the Board Room at every meeting as a reminder to keep students at the center of board and administrative decisions. He attributed the message to former Student Trustee Iyeisha Ellis: “our students are watching.” Harris referenced the chair later in the meeting while urging colleagues to weigh their own conduct before seeking leadership posts.

Technology Staff Singled Out; Longtime Administrator Departs

Namuo’s employee spotlight recognized technology support and media services for work completed before the semester, including modernizing the D building lecture hall, upgrading projector screens and installing an LED wall in the theater. “We notice when the screens are brighter, we notice when the text is clearer,” he said. He also acknowledged the departure of Kelly Rohder-Tonelli after 19 years at the college, saying she was connected to dozens of strategic initiatives and was “always a champion of Joliet Junior College,” and thanked outgoing President’s Fellows Katie Smith and Fatina Sayegh as recruiting begins for the next cohort.

Storm Response Staging Occupies Campus Lots

Namuo thanked the college’s grounds crew, campus police and emergency response team after recent severe weather, telling trustees that an outside operation staging on campus in response to the storms is currently occupying multiple parking lots. “We’re proud to serve in that role in support of the community,” he said, adding that crews surveyed campus damage the previous day and that “everything is cleaned up today.” He said municipalities, county governments and institutions across the state are grappling with damage.

Moment of Silence Observed; No Public Comment

A moment of silence was observed for members of the college family, students, community leaders and their relatives who have died since the board last met, including the relatives of several college employees and a township official. There were no public comments at the meeting. Harris moved adjournment at 8:07 p.m., seconded by McCullum, and the motion carried on a voice vote with all in favor.