Journal & Topics Media Group

Challenger Faces 3 Incumbents In Race For Harper College Board


Harper College board candidates (from left) Kelley, Robb, Hill, Dittmann.

Harper College in Palatine will see three incumbents and one challenger square off for three, six-year seats on the community college board in the April 6 election. 

William Kelley, 65, of Schaumburg, has served on the board since 2003. An attorney, Kelley attended Harper and graduated cum laude from Loyola University of Chicago and Loyola Law School.

“Harper College sparked my passion to pursue further education and provided my mother and seven siblings with an outstanding education, three of whom went on to practice law with me,” Kelley said. “I want to make sure the same outstanding education is accessible and affordable to everyone in our community.”

Inverness resident Nancy Robb was first elected to the board in 2015 after she retired in 2014 as superintendent in Township High School Dist. 211, where she worked for 34 years in a variety of positions such as a career counselor, student services director, principal and associate superintendent before becoming superintendent. 

She holds a doctorate from Roosevelt University, Master’s in Education from the University of Pittsburgh and a bachelor’s from Wittenberg University.

“Throughout my 34-year career in Dist. 211, I worked closely with the Harper College administration and staff,” Robb said. “I was active in the Harper College Foundation and contributed to the development and offering of the Promise Program. My experiences with the

foundation intensified my interest in continuing my service to the community in the capacity of Harper trustee.”

Now in retirement, Robb said education remains her passion and life’s work. 

“My service as a Harper College trustee for the past six years has been an important means for me to apply the knowledge and past experiences I gained as an educator and community member,” Robb said. “Through a second term on the Harper College board, I can continue to volunteer my time and abilities towards the improvement of educational opportunities for adults in our community.”

Fellow Inverness resident Diane Hill joined the Harper board in 2008 to complete the term of her late husband, David. She was then elected to two, six-year terms in 2009 and 2015. 

Hill is retired from Northwestern University where she served for 32 years as senior lecturer, author and clinical supervisor in speech and language pathology. Nationally, she served as chair of the Specialty Board on Fluency Disorders. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Augustana College, and a master’s degree in speech and language pathology from Northwestern University.

“I have a passion for education and serving the community,” Hill said. “Being elected a Harper trustee has combined these interests. I want to help assure the community that Harper, as their college, continues to be well governed, innovative and well positioned to work through current and future challenges.” 

Hill said with a strong base of fiscal strength, outstanding leadership and faculty as well as a wide variety of transfer and certificate programs, Harper is regarded as the college of choice for the area. 

“Harper is well-prepared to be a leading force at this pivotal time,” Hill pointed out. “Harper has achieved a reputation for championing student success. I want to help engage the community in recognizing the resources that Harper provides in preparing students for economically sustaining careers.”

She added that she wants to help Harper move forward in developing programs and facilities that will support training of the workforce needed for a strong community. 

Challenger Kelly Dittmann of North Barrington is a senior advisor and managing director of advisory at Hitachi Vantara, with over 25 years experience working with global firms. She holds a Bachelors of Science from Purdue University; an MBA from Drake University; and Advanced Strategy, Economics from University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

“I am the type of person who is compelled to engage with my neighbors,” Dittmann said. “Sharing my experience and abilities for the benefit of my community has been a passion of mine in varying capacities for the last 20-plus years.” 

Upon choosing to relocate to the Northwest suburbs, she said she determined that running for the Harper College Board of Trustees would be a great opportunity to utilize her past board experiences to make her community a better place for all; while helping Harper better connect programs, students and outcomes.

In the Journal & Topics coverage area, Harper serves Des Plaines west of Mount Prospect Road, Elk Grove Village, Mount Prospect, Palatine, Arlington Heights, Rolling Meadows, Wheeling, Buffalo Grove and Prospect Heights.

 

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