County Officials Achieve Training Goal
Chicago - Seventeen county officials have achieved Certified County Officials (CCO) status in a University of Illinois Extension-directed educational program for local officials. The officials received their certificates during the annual fall meeting of the Illinois Association of County Officials in Chicago.
Each of the county officials completed at least 24 hours of credit in the program, part of the Certified County Officials program, a joint effort of U of I Extension and the Illinois Association of County Board Members and Commissioners.
James Bohnsack of Rock Island, chairman of the Rock Island County Board, has served on the county board for 15 years. Bohnsack wanted to make a difference in the county by helping people. His proudest accomplishment was a balanced budget and building a new nursing home. He worked at Deere and Company.
Tom Walsh of Ottawa, member of the LaSalle County Board, served 18 years as LaSalle County Clerk; two years as State Representative of Illinois; and five years on the County Board. He is Chairman of the Judiciary, Circuit Clerk, and Detention Home committees.
Walsh, a licensed funeral director, was inspired to run for office because of his interest in government. His proudest accomplishment as a county official was voting for county building codes, county zoning, and county self insurance.
Walsh says, “The Certified County Officials program is a long overdue educational opportunity for officials.”
Tom Harris of Matherville is the Mercer County Board Chairman. He has served on the board for nine years and has been Chairman for five years. Harris has also been Chairman of the Finance committee for four years.
“Running for the Board provided the opportunity to contribute to the well being of the community,” says Harris.
His proudest accomplishment while in office was the restoration of Mercer County’s classic courthouse. Harris spent 15 years with the International Harvester Company and John Deere and Company serving in various metallurgical engineering, supervisory, and management positions. For 30 years he was the owner and manager of Harris Casting Company, a metal casting company specializing in high alloy steel and stainless steels.
Harris says, “County government is becoming increasingly complex and requires a continuous upgrade of management skills. The Certified County Officials program fills that need.”
Mike McLaughln of Quincy has been on the Adams County Board for 18 years. He has been the Chairman for 12 continuous years. McLaughln ran for office because he was watching the local political scene and felt that spending was out of control. He wanted to be part of Adams County history and make a difference in the county.
While in office he feels that the professionalism of office holders and employees has improved. McLaughln has also helped the county invest in building a new health department. McLaughln believes it is very valuable anytime you can obtain more education. He sees the Certified County Officials program as a great way to network with other officials.
Patti J. Hahn of Salem is the Marion County Treasurer. She took office on December 1, 1998 when the former treasurer retired. Hahn is the PAC committee Chair with the Illinois County Treasurers Association and was sworn in as the Illinois County Treasurers Association secretary on November 20, 2007. Hahn’s proudest accomplishment was to bring automation to the Treasurer’s office to make jobs more efficient.
“I have enjoyed each educational session I attended because it was interesting and a learning experience. I have shared what I have learned with other board members and office holders,” said Hahn.
Judy Truckenbrod of West Brooklyn has served of the Lee County Board for nine years. She has served on the Executive and Finance committees for four years and currently serves on the Solid Waste/Public Health committee and the Group Health Insurance Advisory committee. Truckenbrod is also the secretary of the Illinois Association of County Board Members and Commissioners.
“The CCO program is an educational resource that gives county officials basic concepts of government, reviews legal limitations, and presents innovative approaches used by other agencies. It also allows interaction with officials from other Illinois counties,” said Truckenbrod.
Martin Typer of Oregon has served has the Ogle County Circuit Court Clerk for 15 years. While in office, he has served on the Illinois Integrated Justice Information Systems Privacy and Outreach Subcommittees; Illinois State Bar Association Committee on Court Technology; Executive, Legislative, and PAC committees and Zone IV Chairman of the Illinois Association of Court Clerks; and as Vice Chairman of the Lee/Carroll/Ogle Counties Board of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA).
Typer was inspired to run for office because of its challenge and opportunity to help people get through the complex legal system while providing improved customer service and efficiency. His proudest accomplishment while in office was that he and his staff successfully moved more than 6600 boxes of files from the old courthouse into the new area without a single lost or misplaced file. He is proud of the efforts and dedication his staff took to plan and execute this task. For the past 15 years, Typer’s career and life have been to improve the courts for Ogle County and Illinois.
“The CCO program provides opportunities to see all different aspects of county government by attending local training sessions and discussing issues with other officials. I wish the program was around when I started my career in government,” Typer commented.
Loretta Volker of Princeton has served on the Bureau County Board for seven years. Voker serves on the Jury Selection, Community Development/Tourism, Family Violence Prevention, Board of Health, County Nursing Home, County Farm, Emergency Services, and Zoning committees. She was volunteered to run for office and once elected enjoyed the challenge.
Volker says her proudest accomplishment has been “achieving bi-partisan support and becoming "the voice" for what can be achieved through cooperation. This has enabled the energies of each board member to be realized to achieve equity and economies in government. In turn, this assures the stability of Bureau County's unique country quality of small town living for our families.”
Volker is also a Professional Counselor and Nurse-Educator who specializing in Family and Work Place Systems. She is also a Certified Legal Nurse Consultant.
“The CCO program has provided knowledge and practical skills as well as a networking resource to quickly apply the career skills. I use these contacts on a weekly basis. It's allowed me to use this grass roots county government position and it's attachments to small town life and families as a go-between to all other levels of government. Personally, it's allowed my passion for ‘Everyman’ to achieve the fullness of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for which he was created,” Volker stated.
Lynn Reed has served as the Moultrie County Coroner for more than 27 years. He is the training coordinator for all coroners in Illinois. For the past 15 years, Reed has organized and directed training in death investigations and crime scene reconstruction for the Illinois Sheriff’s Department and the City Police Department personnel as well as the Illinois State Police Investigators and the crime scene technicians.
Reed’s proudest accomplishment while in office has been to professionalize the office of coroner state wide with basic and advanced training. He has also lobbied for legislation requiring training for all Illinois coroners. Reed has been a licensed Funeral Director for 37 years and co-owner of Reed Funeral Home, Ltd., Sullivan for the past 22 years.
“The Certified County Official program is an excellent opportunity for those of us in county government to learn about the functions and programs of other officials and units of government,” said Reed.
LaSalle County Board Member Allen E. Erbrederis of Somonauk has held elected office as a committeman since 1995. He was elected to the county board for a two year term in 2000. He was appointed to chair the county 9-1-1 committee in 2002. With this assignment basic 9-1-1 service was brought back to the rural area with a referendum for E9-1-1 to the county.
Erbrederis currently serves as the Chairman of the Assessments Committee, and on the Board of Review, GIS Mapping, and Treasurer Committees. He is a member of the Emergency Management Agency Committee, Legislation & Rules, County Development, TIF, Courthouse & Jail, Sheriff, County Radio, and Courthouse Security.
Erbrederis ran for office because he felt the need to provide better representation to the northeast corner of the county and was urged by residents to run. He is most proud of being a part of bringing enhanced 9-1-1 telephone services to the rural residents of LaSalle County. He is a former Law Enforcement Officer with a Degree in Electrical Engineering. Erbrederis now considers his position on the board as his 'full time' job.
“The CCO program is an excellent way for county board members and others in county government to further their knowledge and hone their skills to better serve the public. The conferences provide a means for board members to share their experiences with others. Becoming a Certified County Official indicates to the people of my district my desire to serve them to the best of my ability, and my desire to strive in achieving the knowledge to improve,” said Erbrederis.
Ogle County Board Member Paul White of Forreston has served for three years. He is on the Health, Education and Welfare, and Finance committees. He was urged to run for the county board by a former mentor. His proudest accomplishment was working on the formulation of a set of new agricultural land ordinances. White is also the President of Forreston Tool Inc.
“I believe the CCO program is excellent, and I am honored to be a recipient of the designation and wish more county officials would participate in the program for the betterment of the counties they serve,” commented White.
Marcia Heuer of Oregon has served as an Ogle County Board Member for 6.5 years. She sits on the Assessment, Plat and Zoning, and Personnel committees. Heuer decided to run for office to give a voice to the predominantly rural areas of the county. She is also the Executive Director of the Oregon Area Chamber of Commerce.
Her proudest accomplishment was being a member of the Long Range Planning Committee that oversaw the construction of Ogle County’s new state-of-the-art Judicial Center. The financing for this project was accomplished with no tax money from the county.
Heuer said, “As elected officials, we can never learn too much.”
Marilyn Shippert of Dixon has served on the Lee County Board for three years. This retired high school mathematics teacher serves on the Finance, County Services, and Insurance and Negotiations committees.
Shippert said, “I’ve always been interested in political activities and felt I had abilities that could be useful on the Board. When I retired from teaching I had the time necessary to devote to the position.”
Jean B. Finley of Ramsey was the first woman on the Fayette County Board 21 years ago. She was Chairwoman for four years from 1990-1994. She is also a Ramsey Township Trustee. She has been a farmer all her life.
Tom Karr of Congerville has been a Woodford County Board Member for three years. He is the Chair of the Public Safety committee and has had multiple committee assignments. Karr ran for office to represent the people who had concerns about the county. Karr said his biggest accomplishment while in office was developing a balanced budget that contained funding for a permanent storage building for the county.
Bobbi Murray of Tuscola is the Douglas County Treasurer and has served in office for nine years. She completed the 24 hours of education by attending the Public Investors Symposium.
Clay County Board Member Ron King of Flora completed the 24 hours of education by attending the TIF Districts Tele-Institute on May 24, 2007. He has been in office for four years.
"Today's county government officials must possess a broad array of skills to lead effectively," said Jeri Marxman, U of I Extension local government specialist who heads the education program. "The Certified County Officials program is designed to strengthen the leadership capacity of county officials by providing core educational and professional development opportunities."
Participating county board members take classes covering topics such as financial
management, risk management, the Open Meeting Act, land use, ethics, emergency preparedness, and economic development. The classes are offered throughout the year in a variety of venues, including teleconferences and on-site meetings.
To learn more about CCO program, please contact Jessica Van Tine, Program Coordinator for Extension’s Local Government Information and Education Network at 217-244-3735 or at tinevan@uiuc.edu.
