CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) – At its regular April meeting, the Parkland College Board of Trustees swore in recently elected trustees, selected new officers, and approved both an employee compensation study and a third-party administrator for its healthcare plan.

Re-elected trustee Bianca Green and new trustee Daniel W. Marker were recently sworn in for six-year terms. Pascalinegrace Phongo was welcomed as the new student trustee, serving through April 2026. On top of this, new board officers were sworn in with Maureen Banks as Chair, Bianca Green as Vice-Chair, and Carolyn Ragsdale as Secretary. The trustees also selected Evergreen Solutions of Tallahassee to conduct an in-depth compensation study for non-union employees, for $54,500.

The study will assess pay structures for non-union employees, analyze internal equity, and benchmark against market standards. The purpose of this study is to boost recruitment, retention, and equitable compensation. United Healthcare will also be replacing Health Alliance as Parkland’s third-party administrator. The change was prompted by Health Alliance’s decision to exit the insurance business by end of 2025. Their current contract ends on June 30, 2025.

The trustees recognized April 2025 as Community College Month, which supports the awareness of the benefits of community colleges. It is part of a national campaign by the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT). The primary goal, according to ACCT, is to “improve awareness of the economic, academic, and equity advantages of attending community colleges, and to dispel longtime stigmas wrongly associated with public two-year colleges.”

The board also approved the following:

  • the purchase of:
    • repair services from Poplar Grove Airmotive, Inc., Poplar Grove, Ill., $280,000
    • line services from FlightStar, Savoy, Ill., $86,000
    • maintenance services from FlightStar, Savoy, Ill., $317,254
    • aviation fuel from AvFuel Corporation, Ann Arbor, Mich., $401,856
    • sixteen cameras and associated accessories from Pentegra Systems, Naperville, Ill., $56,380
    • a 2025 Ford F-350 vehicle from Morrow Brothers Ford Inc., Greenfield, Ill., $59,796
  • the filing of grant applications:
    • Illinois Arts Council (IAC): General Operating Support (GOS) Grants
    • Secretary of State (SOS) Illinois State Library (ISL): Adult Volunteer Literacy Grant
    • Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO): 2025 Apprenticeship Expansion
  • funds awarded to Parkland from external sources:
    • Illinois Community College Board (ICCB): Taking Back the Trades! Trades School Grant Program- Round 3 Grant
    • ICCB: Integrated English Language and Civics Education (IELCE) Supplemental Support Funds
    • ICCB: Expansion of ESL Services for Adult Education Providers (ESL Expansion)
  • personnel appointments and modifications:
    • Elizabeth Westfield, Director, Marketing and Public Relations
    • Brennon Hightower, Director, Student Life
    • Anca Parrish, Instructor, Mathematics
    • Katya Cummins, Associate, Admissions & Records
    • Kaitlyn Murfin, Admissions, Advisor Admissions & Records
    • Mac Seneca, Application Support Engineer, Campus Technologies
    • Todd Reichert, Application Support Engineer, Campus Technologies
    • Ben Sims, Grants Specialist, Grants & Sponsored Programs
    • Celeste Miller, Wellness Coordinator, Student Life
    • Thomas Murray, Sergeant, Public Safety