Parkland Trustees Approve FY2021 Budget

Board of Trustees General Meeting, September 16

At its regular meeting Wednesday, Parkland Trustees approved the college's FY2021 budget and heard an update on the newly installed solar array now operating on campus.
 
President Tom Ramage reported that the solar array is up and running as of Friday, Sept. 11. Located at the northwest corner of the school's main campus, the array spans eight acres and will generate between 10 to 15 percent of the college's electricity. The SolSystems LLC contract was approved in January 2018 and then sold to ConEd for a new contract signed in October 2018, Ramage reported.

Trustees also appointed Benny Mingo to the Parkland College Public Safety Department as a full-time police officer. Officer Mingo is a Parkland alumnus with an associate's degree in Business Administration and a bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois, where he also worked in Public Safety, Security Division. A recent graduate of the University of Illinois Police Training Institute, Mingo was awarded the Ervin H. Warren Leadership Award, which is voted for by the recipient's peers, instructors, and staff and is given to the officer who best exemplifies today's concept of tomorrow's police officer.

After an update on the Parkland Foundation by Executive Director Tracy Wahlfeldt, trustees heard from Chief Financial Officer Chris Randles and voted to approve the FY2021 budget.

In other business, trustees approved:

• the purchase of Agvance software from Software Solutions Integrated, LLC (SSI) for development of the College's Advanced Applicator Technician program through 2023, $84,000

• the purchase of Turnitin plagiarism detection software from Turnitin, LLC through 2023, $68,127

• IT consulting services from Leapfrog Technology Group, Inc., $100,000

• the purchase of services from Rock Gate Capital, DBA 160 Driving Academy, $475,000

• the purchase of services from Condensed Curriculum International, $25,000

• the purchase of services from Strategic Development Institute, $30,000

• the purchase of services from World Education, $25,000

• the employment of Cyberclan as the College's managed security service provider (MSSP) for 2020-2021, $150,000

• the purchase of Mimecast Email Security cloud services from CDWG for 2020-2021, $48,000

• changes to Policies 3.25, 3.26, and 7.02 as presented by the Parkland College Association

• the renewal of Constellation Energy's utility contract

• personnel appointments:

  • Julia Hawthorne, Director of TRiO/Student Support Services, TRiO/Student Support Services

  • Hayden Seidel, Bookstore Manager, Bookstore

  • Brian Schertz, Aviation Team Lead, Institute of Aviation

  • Amy Frasca, Curriculum Specialist, VP of Academic Services Office

  • Rebecca Richardson, Admissions and Records Associate, Admissions

  • Karen Talbott, Head Teacher, Child Development Center

  • Chris Thomas, Maintenance Technician/Plumber/HVAC, Physical Plant

  • Cyndy White, Administrative Assistant, Division of Career and Technical Education