Parkland Trustees Approve Compensation Study, Third-party Healthcare Administrator

Trustees also swore in recently elected trustees and selected new officers

At its regular meeting Wednesday, 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.

Accepting the results from recent Champaign County elections, trustees administered the oath of office to Bianca Green and Daniel W. Marker, who will each serve a six-year term. Marker will serve his first term on the board while Green has served as a Parkland College trustee since 2015. Trustees also welcomed Student Trustee Pascalinegrace Phongo, elected by Parkland’s student body in early April. She will serve as student trustee through April 2026.

The board then unanimously approved its new slate of board officers including Maureen Banks as chair, Green as vice-chair, and Carolyn Ragsdale as secretary.

In further business, trustees selected Evergreen Solutions of Tallahassee, Fla., to conduct an in-depth compensation study for non-union employees, for $54,500. The consultant will evaluate the college’s current compensation policies for Parkland administrators, non-union supervisors, and confidential staff; perform external market benchmarking; assess internal equity; and provide recommendations for adjustments to salary ranges, pay scales, and job classifications. Parkland administrators reviewed nine consultant proposals for the study before presenting their recommendation to the board. Outcomes from the study will support recruitment and retention efforts, ensure market competitiveness, and promote equitable pay practices that align with institutional goals and values.

Trustees also selected United Healthcare as the third-party administrator for the college’s self-funded healthcare plan to replace Health Alliance, which announced it will cease operations as a health insurance company at the end of 2025. Parkland’s current contract with Health Alliance ends June 30; the company had been Parkland’s third-party administrator since July 2016.

During Wednesday’s meeting, Parkland College Physical Plant Director Troy Burns updated board members on the status of the college’s Protected, Health, and Safety (PHS) projects. Campus improvements include upgrades to the electrical panels and switch gear in the X wing, a boiler replacement in the gymnasium, and installation of electronic door locks on all campus doors.

Trustees also approved a resolution recognizing April 2025 as Community College Month at Parkland College, in coordination with 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 campaign can be seen on social media with the hashtag #CCMonth.

In other business, the board 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