Meet the Candidates: Oakton Community College Board (6 for 3 seats)

(Editor’s Note: These profiles were provided to the League of Women Voters-Evanston and first published by the Evanston RoundTable, a neighboring independent newsroom. It was shared with The Record as part of an ongoing collaborative effort.)

JUMP TO: Micah Eimer | Michele Hays | Rene Mandin | Cheryl Brown | Marie Lynn Toussaint (i) | Wendy Yanow (i)
(i: incumbent)

Six candidates, including two incumbents, are competing for three seats on the Oakton Community College Board of Trustees.

Below are basic profiles of the six candidates. The order they are presented was selected at random.

These profiles are just one layer of The Record’s election coverage and are meant to provide community members with basic information about those running for public office.

Micah J. Eimer

Candidate type: First-time candidate.

Occupation: Cardiologist with Northwestern Medicine.

Education: Bachelor’s degree from New York University, medical degree from Northwestern University.

Website: DrEimer4Oakton.org

Civic involvement: Founded the largest pre-med summer program in the country with an emphasis on populations under-represented in medicine.

Why are you running?

I am running for Trustee of Oakton College because Oakton sits at the intersection of two important societal problems — the shortage of skilled workers in health care and other growing industries and insufficient career paths for students who are not college-bound. As someone working in a medical facility, I am acutely aware of the staffing shortages in that industry. From my discussions with local business leaders, I have learned more about these staffing shortages elsewhere in our community as well. And yet, training programs are not getting adequate enrollment because they are disconnected from the high schools and the employers. Also, I acknowledge the benefits I have gained from education, mentoring and career guidance, and I want to ensure that it is available to the next generation. 

What are your qualifications? 

Over the last year, I have worked with the health care curriculum leadership at Oakton College and Evanston Township High School (ETHS) to design an apprenticeship program in which ETHS seniors are paid to work part-time at Northwestern Medicine while they pursue a medical assistant certificate at Oakton. Upon completion of the training at Oakton, the students will be offered a full-time position. The pilot program has been highly successful and has the potential to help solve medical staffing issues and provide a rewarding career path for high school students. If elected as a Trustee, I would scale up these high school to Oakton to health care career pipelines. We are truly fortunate to have several large health care systems in the Oakton district, and we should work with all of them. Within health care alone, the program could be expanded to include other needed roles such as nursing, ultrasound technicians and respiratory technicians, all of which would include a significant pay increase. I would also seek to replicate this model in other fast-growing fields with local worker shortages such as HVAC, electricians and plumbers. 

I am proud to add that I have the endorsement of the Cook County College Teachers Union.

What do you hope to accomplish during your tenure on the board? 

My goal is to ensure that as the community’s college, Oakton remains a place of opportunity for all those who seek education. Oakton College should serve all members of our community to help them lead productive and fulfilling lives. For our younger residents, we need to do a better job of partnering with high schools in the district to develop career pathways for students. This includes increasing the availability of college credits in high school which will make college more affordable. I would also like to see Oakton develop a “gap year” program for high school graduates who intend to pursue a bachelor’s degree but may need some time to explore careers, work and get college credits. This program specifically may help Oakton extend its reach into the northern portions of the district. For students who are not college bound, we have an enormous opportunity to help with career exploration, obtaining certifications and job placement in rapidly growing fields. 

Michele Hays

Candidate type: First-time candidate.

Occupation: Community activist.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in theater, associate’s degrees in communications and English.

Website: Facebook.

Civic involvement: Mutual aid in Evanston, Brummel Park Neighbors, president of Bermuda Court Condo Association, Evanston Citizens for Appropriate Special Education Parent Partner, currently pursuing formal training in special education advocacy.

Why are you running?  

I have a strong commitment to fight against poverty, which negatively impacts everyone. I believe Oakton College should be leveraged as an engine for economic opportunity for everyone in District 535.

What are your qualifications?  

I have volunteered with a wide range of vulnerable families and individuals across the District in a variety of ways, including direct service, informal case management, as an advocate for Special Education, and to that end have worked with many local nonprofits including Connections for the Homeless, the Moran Center, Evanston CASE, Families Helping Families, Women Helping Others and more.  

What do you hope to accomplish during your tenure on the board?  

I hope to help Oakton College find ways to remove barriers to access within its district, and to increase appropriate programming and support systems for vulnerable and underserved groups in the district.  

Rene Mandin

Candidate type: First-time candidate.

Occupation: IT specialist in the office of Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.

Education: Associate’s degree in information technology and advance IT certification from Wilbur Wright College (City Colleges of Chicago).

Website: Rene Mandin for Oakton College Board of Trustee 

Civic Involvement: Representative assembly delegate for Illinois Federation of Teachers/IFPE Local 4408, National Night Out Committee for Maine and Leyden Township.

Why are you running?

I am running for Oakton College Board of Trustees to advocate for affordable education, student success and faculty empowerment. As a community college alumnus, I understand the challenges students face and want to ensure they have access to the resources and opportunities needed to succeed. My experience in public service and advocacy has equipped me to work toward policies that strengthen Oakton College for students, educators and the community.

What are your qualifications?

I have over a decade of public service experience as an IT specialist for the Illinois Attorney General’s Office and serve as a Representative Assembly Delegate for the Illinois Federation of Teachers/IFPE Local 4408, where I advocate for state employees and educators. My background in technology, budgeting and policy implementation makes me well equipped to help ensure financial responsibility and strategic decision-making at Oakton College. I am proud and honored I have the endorsement of the Cook County College Teachers Local 1600 Union.

What do you hope to accomplish during your tenure?

My priorities as a trustee include:

• Keeping education affordable by ensuring responsible tuition policies.
• Enhancing student support programs such as career counseling and internships.
• Advocating for faculty and staff to ensure fair wages and professional development.
• Strengthening career and technical education to align with workforce needs.
• Ensuring financial transparency and fiscal responsibility.

I am committed to making Oakton College a stronger, more accessible and future-ready institution that benefits students, faculty and the community.

Cheryl Brown

Candidate type: First-time candidate.

Occupation: Retired Oakton professor, historian and presenter.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Illinois Chicago, MBA from Roosevelt University.

Website: cherylbrown.org

Civic Involvement: Former board member of the Adjunct Faculty Association at Oakton College, former president of Dearlove Cove Condo Association (297 units), former board member of the Debra Gelfand Children’s Foundation for needy children of Glenview, former volunteer at TLC camp of Lombard for children fighting cancer, current historian and presenter at many local libraries and senior centers.

Why are you running?  

Last year I retired from teaching at Oakton College after 40 years. My hands-on experience at Oakton, makes me an excellent candidate for the Board of Trustees. I would like to give back to the community by guiding Oakton into becoming one of the top community colleges in the country as it was rated by U.S. News and World Report several years ago. “Start Here, Go Anywhere” was a great mission statement and I would like to continue that approach. I entered this race to bring new and exciting opportunities to Oakton. I consider myself a creative thinker and problem solver with a strong marketing background. I plan to go out to the community and hold information sessions and listen to people’s comments on what they want from their community college.

What are your qualifications?

I hold a master’s degree in business administration with a field of specialization in marketing. My Bachelor’s degree is in Business Administration from the Univ. of IL Chicago.

My experience of teaching at Morton College, College of Lake County, Triton college and of course Oakton college from 1983–2024 will guide my decisions on the board of trustees. I also attended 7 colleges in my career.

I began in the Computer Applications for Business dept and later joined the Business Department where I taught: Marketing, Consumer Behavior, Global Business, Management, and Introduction to Business. In 2008, I won the “Life Long Learner” award at Oakton. My rating on “RateMyProfessors” is 5.0 on a 5.0 scale. I take pride in everything that I hope to accomplish. Here is a link to my reviews.

At Oakton, I was a member of the 2012 steering committee, the dean search committee, the Professional Development committee, the food service committee, Adjunct Faculty Association, attended many professional development workshops as well as taught workshops. Recently I taught several classes thru the Emeritus Program at Skokie. 

For 10 years, I worked for Chicago Harley Davidson in their Marketing and Promotions Department in Glenview.

What do you hope to accomplish during your tenure on the board? 

I have an open-door policy and believe in transparency. I respect everyone’s opinion and would welcome their input. One of my goals would be to improve marketing, increase enrollment, especially for older students, and utilize the wonderful space Oakton has to offer for students and the community.  

Marie Lynn Toussaint

Candidate type: Incumbent running for a second term.

Occupation: Attorney.

Education: Bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois Chicago, juris doctorate from John Marshall Law School.

Website: Citizens for Marie Lynn Toussaint.

Why are you running?  

Oakton College’s mission is to “empower and transform its students in the diverse communities it serves.” For the past six years, I have had the privilege of contributing to that mission, and I am seeking re-election to continue this important work. Education is the great equalizer as it provides access, equity and opportunity. I am committed to ensuring that Oakton College remains a place where education is accessible and affordable for all. My goal is to continue advancing equity, justice and fairness while upholding Oakton’s reputation for academic excellence, innovation and student success.

What are your qualifications?  

My name is Marie Lynn Toussaint. I am an attorney and the mother of two boys. Born in Haiti, I emigrated to the United States with my family in the 1970s. I attended Saint Mary’s Elementary School before graduating from Saint Athanasius and later Regina Dominican High School. I earned my bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and obtained my paralegal certificate from Roosevelt University. I then pursued my legal education at John Marshall Law School, where I received my Juris Doctorate.

As an attorney, I co-founded the Haitian American Lawyers Association, and for the past 30 years, I have served as an Assistant Public Defender with the Law Office of the Cook County Public Defenders. In 2019, I was honored to be elected to the Oakton College Board of Trustees.

What do you hope to accomplish during your tenure on the board?  

During my tenure on the board, we have reached several significant milestones and introduced groundbreaking programs, including a partnership with Northwestern University and Endeavor Health, an AI (Artificial Intelligence) Certificate program, the Cannabis Cultivation Certificate, the Emory Williams Academy for Black Men, and the Ray Harstein Learning Commons, among others.

Oakton College plays a vital role in providing students with a high-quality, affordable education. I am dedicated to continuing the fight for the future of our community and the future of Oakton College. I humbly ask for your support in this journey.

Wendy B. Yanow

Candidate type: Incumbent running for a second term.

Occupation: Consultant and facilitator, adjunct professor in the Master of Arts in Educating Adults graduate program at DePaul University.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Illinois Chicago, doctorate in adult education from National Louis University.

Website: wendybyanow4oakton.com

Why are you running?

I am running for re-election for Oakton College Trustee because I continue to believe in equitable access to high quality, higher education for everyone. I still believe in creating programs that include essential and comprehensive wrap-around services and in supporting students so that they achieve the goals, both personal and professional, they have set for themselves. I believe strongly in Oakton College. 

And I believe in a community college that focuses on equity while serving the broader community within which it exists. I want to continue to support the innovative programs Oakton has recently created to accomplish these goals. Under the current Board’s leadership, Oakton has engaged in partnerships with both Endeavor Health and Northwestern Medicine. These partnerships offer transformative potential for our community. The Endeavor partnership offers desperately needed professional health care training at an Evanston campus location while the Northwestern medicine partnership is a work-based learning partnership creating pathways for students. In both examples, students can begin a high-paying career in health care immediately upon completion. Each serves a different part of our population and both serve the broader needs of our community. The power of these partnerships is palpable and will serve as models for community-based education. 

This is a time for seasoned, reliable leadership, for Trustees who understand the Oakton College environment and the broader community and students we serve. I understand and will continue to actively support equity-focused, academically superior programs that will prepare graduates for a career, for the next step in their education or to satisfy their desire to continue to learn. I will support programs that serve our entire community. And I will support the brilliant leaders, faculty and staff we have hired to carry out this essential work at Oakton College.

What are your qualifications?

I earned a doctorate in education with a focus on adult education. My entire career has been focused around serving the needs of adult learners, from non-English proficient adults working to complete a high school diploma to doctoral students hoping to serve adult learners in their communities. I have been a teacher and a curriculum and program designer and I’ve trained university faculty in working with adult learners. For many years I have served as a consultant/facilitator focusing on equity in education, anti-racism in all aspects of our lives and teaching to understand across difference. I have spent the last six years serving as Trustee of Oakton College, including one year as Co-Chair and one year as Chair. I am an experienced leader in community college higher education. 

What do you hope to accomplish during your tenure on the board?

In the next six years I intend to continue to support the brilliant leaders and faculty we have hired to carry out the essential work at Oakton College. I will unequivocally support Oakton’s work for equity and I will add to that work by supporting new partnerships within our community including the elementary school districts and other business and industries where professional and technical training is essential. I will continue to be engaged in community college learning on a national level, bringing deeper understanding of issues both challenging and supporting to our local community. 

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