Forest Park Village Clerk Vanessa Moritz has resigned from her position on the Board of Trustees at Triton, the two-year community college in River Grove. Moritz was first elected to the board in April 2013.

The announcement of Moritz’s resignation, effective immediately, came at the board’s June 16 meeting. The Illinois Public Community College Act requires the vacancy to be filled within 60 days. Once appointed, the new trustee will serve until the next election in April 2017.

In her resignation letter, obtained by the Review, Moritz cites personal reasons for her resignation. She also refers to her two-year tenure as a trustee as a “gratifying experience.” 

“I have appreciated all the cooperation and leadership of the board and hope that we may continue to cross paths,” Moritz wrote. “It has been a pleasure and a privilege to serve alongside each of you.”

Reached on Tuesday morning, however, Moritz was less enthusiastic.

“It didn’t work out for me,” she said. “I just didn’t really like it.”

The college’s board consists of seven elected officials who serve six-year terms. There is also one student representative elected annually by the Trion student body for a one-year term. The board meets monthly on campus at the Learning Resource Center.

Speaking with the Review, an anonymous observer described Triton’s board as a “big player” in the area and referenced the organization’s sizeable budget as a way for individuals to have an outsized impact in the educational community.

“It is a really critical institution in our community,” the observer remarked before calling the policy topics covered by the board “pretty interesting.” In an email to the Review, the observer praised the June 16 announcement as an improvement over the last time a board member resigned.

Former trustee Thomas Gary, of Oak Park, resigned in 2013 after a scheduling conflict with his military service. Only one individual, current trustee Glover Johnson, also an Oak Parker, applied to fill that opening.

There are a few requirements for potential trustees. Any candidate must be at least 18 years old and have resided within Triton’s Community College District #504, for one year. The district comprises 25 communities and is bounded by Rosemount to the north, Oak Park to the east, Riverside to the south and Beverly to the west.

Any interested individuals should submit a letter of interest and resume to Susan Page, Secretary of the Board of Trustees, Triton College, Office of the President, Building A, Room A-301, 2000 N. Fifth Avenue, River Grove, IL 60171, by July 16.

Current trustees are: Mark Stephens, chairman, Rosemont; Donna Peluso, vice chairman, Melrose Park; Diane Viverito, secretary, Melrose Park; Luke Casson, Oak Park; Glover Johnson, Oak Park; Elizabeth Potter, Brookfield; and J. Gustavo Munoz, student trustee.