The Oakton College board of trustees reorganized its leadership at its April 16 meeting and named Evanston resident Marie Lynn Toussaint as chair, according to a press release. Toussaint will serve a one-year term. Evanston resident Martha Burns will serve as vice-chair.
Previously, Evanston residents Wendy B. Yanow and Gail Bush served as chair and vice-chair, respectively. Morton Grove resident Theresa Bashiri-Remetio replaced Evanston resident William Stafford as secretary.
“I am proud of the progress Oakton has made during my time on the board of trustees, and I look forward to serving as chair,” Toussaint said in the release. “My board colleagues and I will continue to prioritize supporting students as they work toward their educational goals and setting policies that align with our strategic plan’s bold vision of building just and thriving communities. Together we can move mountains, so let’s continue to move forward.”
Toussaint started on the board in 2019 with a six-year term. She said she’s committed to providing accessible education that helps people get jobs and reduce poverty and crime. Her role as a criminal defense attorney for the last 20 years provides experience working with people with a diverse variety of backgrounds.
Toussaint also holds a bachelor of arts from the University of Illinois-Chicago, a paralegal certificate from Roosevelt University and a juris doctorate from John Marshall Law School. She is a member of the Illinois Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, a member and co-founder of the Haitian American Lawyers Association and president of the Haitian Congress to Fortify Haiti.
Burns started her second six-year term on the board in 2023. She has two decades of experience working in the Evanston community for educational organizations, nonprofits and more. She also sat on the Evanston Township High School District 202 Board of Education for 12 years, including two as president and two as vice president.
Burns holds a bachelor of arts in English from Loyola University of Chicago and an associate’s degree from Truman College.
Oakton’s board also gained a new student member. The student body elected Franklin Ocaña II to serve in the one-year term.
“I believe in the power of education,” said Ocaña. “I look forward to advocating for students on both campuses [Des Plaines and Skokie] and being the voice for them on the board.”
More of Oakton College in Evanston
Oakton College also plans to open a new Health Careers Education Center on Endeavor Health’s Evanston Hospital campus. The two organizations aim to create accessible pathways into education and employment through this partnership.
An $800,000 federally funded award secured by Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) will help decrease costs of providing training equipment for student instruction.
“We are excited to increase our capacity to meet the critical workforce needs of the healthcare industry by expanding our quality training programs,” said Oakton College President Joianne L. Smith. “We’re grateful for our partnership with Endeavor Health, allowing Oakton to better serve students in Evanston and the eastern portion of our district.”
Oakton and Endeavor Health will split the cost of the needed renovations and collaborate in finding employment opportunities for students. Both will also seek private funding through their charitable foundations to help cover student scholarship and equipment costs.
Editor’s note: This story has updated to correct which groups are collaborating on Oakton’s new Health Careers Education Center.