Board of Trustees

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Board of Trustees

Governed by citizens

The College of Lake County is governed by a seven-member board of trustees, elected from among the citizens of Community College District 532, to ensure local accountability. In addition, a CLC student is appointed each spring for a one-year term, casting advisory votes.

FY 2024 meetings

Notice is hereby given that the regular monthly meetings of the Board of Trustees of Illinois Community College District No. 532, College of Lake County, except where otherwise indicated, will convene on the dates listed below, at 5 p.m. in the A011 Auditorium at the Grayslake Campus, 19351 W. Washington St., Grayslake, Illinois.

Meeting locations, dates and times may be subject to change.

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Agenda
Board Report
- Board Report (PDF)
Minutes
- COTW Minutes (PDF)
- Board Minutes (PDF)
Agenda
- Board Meeting Agenda (PDF)
- Live Stream Link (Video)
Board Report
- Board Report (PDF)
Minutes
- Minutes (PDF)
Time: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: University of St. Mary of the Lake
1000 E. Maple Avenue,
Mundelein
Agenda
- COTW Meeting Agenda (PDF)
Board Report
Minutes
Special Meeting: Decennial Committee
Time: 4 p.m.
Regular Meeting: 5 p.m.
Location: Lakeshore Campus,
(Eleanor Murkey Community Center, 5th Floor)
34 N. Sheridan Road, Waukegan
Agenda
Board Report
- Board Report (PDF)
Minutes
- Decennial Committee Minutes (PDF)
- Minutes (PDF)
Time: 5 p.m.
Location: Grayslake Campus,
Room C213
Agenda
- COTW Meeting Agenda
Board Report

Minutes
Time: 4 p.m.
Regular Meeting: 5 p.m.
Time: 5 p.m.
Location: Grayslake Campus, Room C213.
- Agenda
- Board Report
- Minutes
Time: 4 p.m.
Regular Meeting: 5 p.m.
Location: Southlake Campus (Room V340)
1120 S. Milwaukee Avenue
Vernon Hills
- Agenda
- Board Report
- Minutes
- Agenda
- Board Report
- Minutes

Board meetings archive

Budget and finance information

Contact a Board Member

Julie B. Shroka, M.A.
Chair
Elected term: 2019-2025
trustee.shroka@clcillinois.edu
Torrie Mark Newsome, J.D.
Vice Chair
Elected term: 2021-2025
trustee.newsome@clcillinois.edu
Paul G. Virgilio, B.S., S.E., P.E.
Secretary
Elected term: 2021-2027
trustee.virgilio@clcillinois.edu
Allena Barbato, J.D., L.M.F.T.
Elected term: 2023-2029
trustee.barbato@clcillinois.edu
William M. Griffin, Ed.D.
Elected term: 2023-2029
trustee.griffin@clcillinois.edu
Amanda D. Howland, J.D.
Elected term: 2021-2027
trustee.howland@clcillinois.edu
Gerri Songer, M.A.
Elected term: 2021-2027
trustee.songer@clcillinois.edu
Daniel Blaine
Student Trustee
Term: 2023-2024
trustee.blaine@clcillinois.edu
Lori Suddick, Ed.D.
President
lsuddick@clcillinois.edu

Meet your Board of Trustees

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Elected term: 2019-2025
Training: Completed State-Mandated Leadership Training for Community College Trustees Public Act 99-0692 (Senate Bill 2157) in June 2021
Contact me: trustee.shroka@clcillinois.edu
Julie Shroka of Grayslake, Ill., was elected to a six-year term on the Board of Trustees in April 2019 and currently serves as Chair of the Board. Her service on the Board began in October 2017 when she was appointed to fill a vacancy.
Ms. Shroka worked on the CLC staff for 30 years until her retirement in June 2016. As a student recruitment assistant from 1987 to 1999, Ms. Shroka visited high schools, libraries and businesses throughout Lake County, providing students with enrollment and advisement services. Ms. Shroka also served as a loaned executive for the United Way of Lake County and later served as an ex-officio member of the College of Lake County Foundation Board. In her last 17 years at CLC, as director of alumni relations and special events, Ms. Shroka provided leadership for all alumni association activities and CLC Foundation fundraising events.
Ms. Shroka earned a B.S. in Journalism/Mass Communications from Drake University and M.A. in Marketing from Webster University.
Elected term: 2019-2025
Training: Completed State-Mandated Leadership Training for Community College Trustees Public Act 99-0692 (Senate Bill 2157) in June 2021
Contact me: trustee.newsome@clcillinois.edu
Attorney Torrie Mark Newsome was elected to a four-year term in April 2021 and currently serves as Vice Chair. His service on the Board began in April 2020 when he was appointed to fill a board vacancy.
Mr. Newsome is a former 20-year employee of Abbott Laboratories, has volunteered for the United States Air Force Reserves and is a former Assistant State’s Attorney for Lake County, Illinois.
In June 2005, Mr. Newsome founded The Law Office of Torrie Mark Newsome. He is a past president of the North Chicago Rotary Club, past president of the Jefferson Inn and American Inn of Court, past board member of the Lake County Bar Association and a past member of the Assembly of the Illinois Bar Association. He is the immediate past chair and a former member of the CLC Lakeshore Advisory Committee. Mr. Newsome taught Introduction to Paralegal Studies at the College of Lake County for 13 years.
Upon learning of his appointment as a CLC trustee in April 2020, Attorney Newsome said, “CLC is a very special institution in my life and the life of my family; my mom and two of my three children are graduates of CLC. I am humbled and honored by this appointment, and I am ready to serve on the CLC Board of Trustees, which is committed to putting the needs of our students and our community first.”
Elected term: 2019-2025
Training: Completed State-Mandated Leadership Training for Community College Trustees Public Act 99-0692 (Senate Bill 2157) in June 2021
Contact me: trustee.virgilio@clcillinois.edu
Paul Virgilio was elected to the Board of Trustees to a six-year term in April 2021. He currently serves as Secretary of the Board.
Mr. Virgilio has been a resident of Lake Zurich since 1989 and has owned and operated a consulting structural engineering firm in Lake County since 1997. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, after transferring from Triton College in River Grove, IL. He is a licensed Structural Engineer in the State of Illinois and a licensed Professional Engineer in 12 other states.
Mr. Virgilio served on the board of directors of the Lake Zurich Soccer Association, as well as on the Parish Council at St. Francis de Sales Parish in Lake Zurich, IL, and is an active volunteer for the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry.
Elected term: 2023-2029
Contact me: trustee.barbato@clcillinois.edu
Allena Barbato was elected to the Board of Trustees for a six-year term in April 2023. She is the Director of Title IX Compliance and Equity officer in the Division of Diversity Equity and Inclusion at Rosalind Franklin University in North Chicago. She is a licensed attorney, licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, an elected City Councilwoman for the Village of Lake Villa. Ms. Barbato is also active in her church, St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox church in Libertyville, where she sits on the Parish Council.
As a Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) instructor, Ms. Barbato teaches techniques to de-escalate crisis events to members of sheriff’s and police departments and other public health and safety agencies. She is certified as a Title IX and ADA Coordinator, in risk assessment from the National Association for Behavior Intervention and Threat Assessment (NABITA), Crucial Conversations, as a Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) gatekeeper, and more.
A graduate of University of Illinois with double majors in Political Science and French, Ms. Barbato received a Juris Doctorate from Southern Illinois University School of Law, where she focused on human rights and environmental law. She practiced law in Washington State in the areas of family law, criminal law and environmental law. Ms. Barbato also holds a master’s degree in psychology from Sophia University in Palo Alto, California.
Elected term: 2023-2029
Contact me: trustee.griffin@clcillinois.edu
Dr. William M. Griffin was elected to the Board of Trustees for a six-year term in April 2023.
A resident of Lake Forest and a CLC graduate, Dr. Griffin earned a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Business Administration from DePaul University, and a doctorate of Education from National Louis University in Chicago. He is a professor of business and serves as chair of Triton College School of Business in River Grove, Illinois.
A strong community college advocate with demonstrated leadership skills, Griffin was first elected to the CLC Board of Trustees in 1995 and served as chair most recently from April 2019 to April 2021. He was recognized as the 2017 recipient of the Illinois Community College Trustees Association (ICCTA) Gary W. Davis Ethical Leadership Award. In April 2021, he was honored with CLC Trustee Emeritus status and became a lifetime member of the ICCTA and the Association for Community College Trustees (ACCT).
Elected term: 2021-2027
Training: Completed State-Mandated Leadership Training for Community College Trustees Public Act 99-0692 (Senate Bill 2157) in June 2021
Contact me: trustee.howland@clcillinois.edu
Attorney Amanda Howland was elected to a six-year term on the Board of Trustees in April 2021. She has also served two previous six-year terms beginning in April 2009 and April 2015. During her time as trustee, she has served in various leadership roles, including Chair from April 2021 to April 2023.
Ms. Howland is a former elementary school assistant principal and principal, in addition to junior high school teacher for students with emotional and behavioral issues. She earned her law degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology and is currently focusing on mediation, practicing in federal court. Her other educational credentials include a bachelor's degree in education from Central Michigan University and master's degrees in psychology from Michigan State University and educational administration from Northern Illinois University.
Elected term: 2021-2027
Training: Completed State-Mandated Leadership Training for Community College Trustees Public Act 99-0692 (Senate Bill 2157) in June 2021
Contact me: trustee.songer@clcillinois.edu
Gerri Songer was elected to a six-year term on the Board of Trustees in 2021.
Ms. Songer served as an educator for Township High School District 214 over the past 30 years. While appointed Education Chair for her Education Association (EA), several articles she authored were highlighted by Diane Ravitch, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education.
As EA Legislative Chair and Legislative Director for Northwest Suburban Local 1211 Teachers’ Union–IFT/AFT, Ms. Songer worked with Sen. Laura Murphy to establish the Cards 4 Kids Act, legislation allowing low-income students in unincorporated areas access to library resources without having to pay nonresident fees. She also collaborated with Sen. Julie Morrison, drafting SR982 Hazardous Material Near School, adopted February 2020. Ms. Songer now advocates for amendments to the Public Community College Act and Illinois School Board Code to facilitate teacher participation in shared governance, allowing a faculty member to participate as a non-voting member on school boards in an advisory capacity.
Citizen Advocacy Center recognized Ms. Songer’s efforts with a Citizen’s Initiative Award for acting on behalf of her community regarding an issue of public health and safety. She’s traveled the state as a speaker for Sierra Club and is a co-lead on a local campaign. Civic participation also includes youth ministry and volunteer work for Lake County Emergency Management Agency.
Ms. Songer has earned four degrees, including Educational Leadership and Administration, Curriculum and Instruction, Special Education, and English/Language Arts. She holds three certifications: Administration, Secondary Education, and Special Education.
Elected term: 2023-2024
Training: Completed State-Mandated Leadership Training for Community College Trustees Public Act 99-0692 (Senate Bill 2157) in June 2021
Contact me: trustee.blaine@clcillinois.edu
Daniel Blaine is a passionate, dedicated individual, the eldest of five siblings, a trailblazer in the nonprofit sector, and an advocate for domestic violence survivors. Blaine has made significant strides in his work with A Safe Place, an organization committed to empowering survivors of domestic violence and breaking the cycle of abuse.
As Student Trustee, Blaine is committed to amplifying the voices of his peers. Whenever he represents students in local, state, and national conferences, he speaks up on behalf of fellow students and ensures that concerns are addressed.
With a passion for civic leadership and community engagement, Blaine has organized and hosted events, including a workshop for the 2022 National Student Leadership Diversity Convention, the 2023 CLC Board of Trustees Candidate Forum, and a Grayslake Police Summit. These initiatives showcase Blaine’s commitment to bring together diverse stakeholders to collaborate on societal issues and effect meaningful change.
Blaine is driven by a desire to make a difference, is dedicated to fostering inclusive communities, and hopes to make student leadership opportunities more effective and inclusive.