ICCTA Ray Hartstein Trustee Achievement Award 2003 Recipient John Ahern Black Hawk College Black Hawk College trustee John Ahern of Silvis is the recipient of ICCTA's 2003 Ray Hartstein Trustee Achievement Award. BHC president Dr. Keith Miller announced the award at the April 3 Board of Trustees meeting in Kewanee. "We're very proud that John has won this prestigious award," said Miller. "He constantly promotes the college through his involvement and support of student and staff activities. He is certainly deserving of this award, not only for his dedication to the college and education, but also for his involvement with his community. "John's role on the Board of Trustees is not limited to attending monthly board meetings. He's been active in Springfield and Washington to make sure the students receive the state and federal support they deserve," Miller added The Ray Hartstein Trustee Achievement Award is presented each year to a community college board member whose exemplary service and leadership sets the standard for outstanding trusteeship in Illinois. The award is named after former ICCTA president and founding Oakton Community College trustee Ray Hartstein of Skokie. During his eight years on the Black Hawk College Board of Trustees, Ahern has been active in trustee issues at the state level. He was the board's ICCTA representative from 1998 to 2001. He chaired the ICCTA Diversity Forum from 1997-98, chaired the ICCTA West Central Region from 2001-02, was a member of the ICCTA Executive Committee from 2001-02, was a member of the ICCTA Awards Committee from 2000-01, and was a member of the ICCTA Nominating Committee from 2001-02. He also has served on the ICCTA Government Relations Committee, Diversity Committee and Trustee Education Committee, and participated in numerous ICCTA Lobby Days and Federal Fly-Ins. Ahern twice served as an ICCTA liaison to the Illinois Community College Board - from 1999-2000 on the ICCB Policy Development Center Subcommittee and from 2000-01 on the ICCB Advisory Committee on Illinois Community Colleges Online. In 2000, he received the ICCTA Trustee Education Award for completing 15 or more ICCTA seminars. When his children were young, Ahern was a troop leader and football coach. He served as a school board and parish council member for St. Mary's Catholic Church, and a school board member for Alleman High School. More recently, he has been involved in the evaluation study team for both St. Mary's and Alleman High School's curriculum. Ahern has been active in his community as a board member of the St. Patrick's Society, former grand marshal of the St. Patrick's Day Parade, a member of the East Moline Rotary, and a volunteer and a sponsor for the Mississippi River Cleanup Project. He was a campaign staff member for Rock Island County Clerk Dick Liebovitz and a campaign staff member for Judge Tom Kilbride, now a member of the Illinois Supreme Court. Ahern will receive the 2003 Ray Hartstein Trustee Achievement Award in June during ICCTA's annual convention in Chicago. For additional information, please contact Kim Villanueva at 1-800-454-2282, ext. 1. Illinois Community College Trustees Association 401 E. Capitol Ave., Suite 200 Springfield, IL 62701-1711 217-528-2858 (phone) 217-528-8662 (fax) ICCTA@communitycolleges.org (e-mail) http://www.communitycolleges.org | Home | News | Events | Links |