Parkland Trustees Swear in New Police Chief, Award Honorary Degree

Board of Trustees General Meeting, April 20

The Parkland College Board of Trustees have sworn in Troy Daniels as the new chief of police, confirmed new board officers, and awarded a posthumous degree to Ross Booker.

At its regular business meeting Wednesday, the board conducted a reorganization of officers, naming Trustee Jim Voyles as the new chair, Trustee Bianca Green as vice chair, and Trustee Maureen Banks as secretary. Trustees also swore in new student trustee Kha Nguyen, who was elected by the student body.

The board confirmed and swore in the new director of Public Safety and Chief of Police Troy Daniels. Daniels replaces Matthew Koppman, who announced earlier this month that he would return to his former role as a sergeant with the department.

Daniels, a former Champaign Police Deputy Chief, brings robust experience to the new role. He served for nine years with the Champaign County Sheriff's Office and spent the next 24 with the Champaign Police Department until his retirement in 2019. Throughout his career, he has received several awards and commendations.

Daniels is a Parkland graduate, earning his associate's degree in criminal justice before obtaining a bachelor's in vocational education from the University of Illinois and a master's degree in public administration from Governor's State University. He is also a graduate of Northwestern University's School of Police Staff and Command and the Police Executive Research Forum at Boston University. 

Trustees also approved the awarding of a posthumous honorary degree to student Ross Booker. A St. Joseph-Ogden High School graduate, volunteer firefighter, and tow truck operator, Ross was completing his last semester in Parkland's Diesel Power Equipment Technology program when he was tragically killed while on the job in early March.

Ross's family will be presented with the degree at a later date, and his name placed on a memorial wall plaque in the college.

In other business, trustees approved:

• the purchase of:

  • 60 month Send Suite and Folder/Inserter Relay 5000 leases from Pitney Bowes, $70,254

  • 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E from Shields Auto Group, $60,000

• the filing of the following grant applications:

  • Illinois State Library/Secretary of State: Adult Volunteer Literacy Grant (Project Read)

  • Illinois State Library/Secretary of State: Penny Severns Family Literacy Program

  • Illinois Arts Council Agency (IACA): FY23 General Operating Support (GOS) Grant

  • Illinois State Historical Records Advisory Board (ISHRAB): Historical Records Grant Program

  • ProLiteracy and the Nora Roberts Foundation: Literacy Opportunity Fund

• the acceptance of funds from external sources:

  • Illinois Community College Board (ICCB): Developmental Education Innovation Grant for Co-Requisite Implementation

• personnel appointments: 

  • Troy Daniels, Police Chief/Director of Public Safety, Public Safety

  • Nicole DelMastro-Jeffery, Associate Director for TRIO/Student Support Services, TRIO/Student Support Services

  • Katherine Neal, HR Specialist-Talent Acquisition, Human Resources

  • Carrie Trimble, Senior HR Specialist-HRIS & Reporting, Human Resources

  • Lisa Altan, Accounts Receivable Accountant, Business Office

  • Andrew Greene, Systems Analyst-Reporting, Programming Support Services

  • Kristin Mitchell, Administrative Assistant to the Division of Career and Technical Education, Career and Technology (Dean)

  • Todd Hultine, Technical Support Specialist, Technical Support Services

  • Cayla Waters, Program Manager-Professional Development, Community Education