NL_032119

4 | March 21, 2019 | the new lenox patriot election 2019
newlenoxpatriot.com
Lincoln-Way Community High School D210 Board of Education (6 for 4 four-year seats)
Name: Joseph Kirkeeng
Age: 53
Party: N/A
Town: New Lenox
Occupation: Banker –
president & CEO First Secure
Bank & Trust; adjunct
professor of business and
management at Joliet Junior College.
Prior elected political experience: Currently
a member of the Board of Education
Lincoln-Way High School District
210; previously a member of the Board
of Education New Lenox Grade School
District 122.
Why are you running for Lincoln-Way
Community High School District 210
Board of Education?
After accepting an appointment to
the board in June 2016, I was elected to
the Lincoln-Way High School Board of
Education in April 2017. I have lived in
the Lincoln-Way District for nearly 25
years. I would like to continue the progress
the board and the administration
have experienced over the past several
months in these areas: To continue the
path to long-term financial stability; to
grow the total educational experience
for all of the students and their families
throughout the district; and to ensure the
pride all citizens within the district feel
when they interact with the high school
district.
What makes you the best candidate for
this position?
My professional experience is in the
financial services industry. This experience
has assisted me in understanding
the financial challenges facing the district.
This includes the operating budget
challenges, the long-term debt issues,
the administrative and cultural opportunities,
and the willingness to engage
with those that live within our district.
I have worked with all of the current
board members and the district’s administration
to create improved practices
as well as enhance policies to
move the district away from its recent
financial history and create a path to financial
stability. I have also been very
active in meeting with those from the
community who have ideas and suggestions
pertaining to many aspects of how
the district operates and interacts with
the community.
What are the Top 3 issues you see facing
the Board of Education, and what
would you do to solve them?
Ensure District’s Financial Stability:
This can be accomplished by continuing
to improve the district’s operational
financial position through expense management,
evaluating potential revenue
sources and improving the monitoring,
communicating and assessment of financial
results. The district has made great
strides; however, an economic downturn
or changes in our state government
processes could create headwinds and
hurdles that the board needs to be constantly
considering and monitoring.
Ensure the ongoing management of
district’s reputation: This can be achieved
by enhancing communication, sharing
information and continuing the dialogue
with the community. We have been working
closely with the administration to review
and improve the formal organizational
structure and augment everyone’s
ability to fulfil on the district’s mission.
This includes the district’s academic excellence,
the success in the arts and athletics,
the expansion of additional opportunities,
and the overall improvements
pertaining to the educational process.
We will look to continue augmenting the
educational process. This will include offering
a variety options for all students.
The development of the curriculum for
students who are work-force oriented as
well as those who are college bound after
high school is needed. The assessing and
implementing the next phase of technology
will provide great assistance as the
district improves its educational experience
for all students.
A focus on the long-term debt analysis
and management: The long-term debt
incurred by the district when it was in
an expansion phase needs to be evaluated
and the options fully vetted. This
includes the options and the alternatives
for the capital assets still held by the district,
including vacant land and the Lincoln-Way
North building. The timeline
for some of the potential options to be
considered is approaching. The board has
started its evaluation and we will look to
review all potential courses as it pertains
to this topic.
Name: William J. Garrett
Age: 30
Party: N/A
Town of Residence: Manhattan
Occupation: Operations Manager
Prior elected political experience:
LWHS ESP President, LWHS ESP
Secretary and Townes of Leighlinbridge
Treasurer
Why are you running for Lincoln-Way Community
High School District 210 Board of Education?
As a graduate of Lincoln-Way East High School
and a resident of the Lincoln-Way Community, I
have always envisioned collaborating with the
community to enhance the educational development
of young minds. My goal, like most parents,
is to provide an environment that will allow all
children to develop and become highly competitive
in a global society. My passion for student success
has been a vital component in my choice to continue
working in schools for the last 10 years.
What makes you the best candidate for this position?
The key factors that separate my skill set from
other candidates is my ability to engage our stakeholders
while keeping students at the center. My
ability to blend academics with finances will help
position our schools to mitigate risks, measure the
academic return on investment, and create a sound
and purposeful financial plan. It can never be understated
that strategic planning is an investment in
success. I have been a proponent of data collection
as a method to identify “small victories” that can be
scaled to ensure programmatic sustainability.
What are the Top 3 issues you see facing the
Board of Education, and what would you do to
solve them?
The top issues facing Lincoln-Way Community
High School District 210 are collaboratively
identifying the programmatic needs of students,
developing a cost-saving strategy that will balance
the fund balance to revenue ratio and align
Lincoln-Way with best practices of the Government
Finance Officers Association. These three
issues are not isolated but, rather, an intricate
braid of challenges.
Lincoln-Way has again received the lowest financial
profile designation from the Illinois State
Board of Education. Out of the 852 schools reported
by ISBE, Lincoln-Way is one of 29 schools listed
as “Financial Watch.” To increase the financial
stability of Lincoln-Way, a fiscally sound district
budget will need to be passed and continuous monitoring
of the financial health must occur. In order
to achieve a healthy financial institution, we must
set clear goals and policies, prioritize long term
strategies and focus tax dollars into financially responsible
directions that can be measured.
Name: Richard C. LaCien, Jr.
Age: 52
Party: N/A
Town of Residence: Mokena
Occupation: Superintendent and project manager,
member of Sheet Metal Workers Local 73,
Chicago
Prior elected political experience: Commissioner
of the Mokena Park District Board
Why are you running for Lincoln-Way Community High
School District D210 Board of Education?
I am running for the D210 Board of Education because I have
a son in the school district and I want to be involved.
What makes me the best candidate for this position?
I am the best candidate because no current board members
have construction experience and I believe that I would be an
asset to the board. I will be able to fill the gap by bringing my
extensive construction experience regarding projects and costs.
In addition, I will be able to give guidance and direction to the
school board on how to assist those students who want to make
a career by getting into the trades if college is not for them.
What are the Top 3 issues you see facing the Board of Education?
The top issues facing the D210 Board of Education are now
that we’ve come out of our financial warning status, we need to
keep our budget in check and building our reserves while still
accomplishing the improvements for the district and doing capital
jobs as they become required.