Former congressman appointed to Illinois Community College Board

(Springfield) – Governor Pat Quinn has appointed Terry L. Bruce, Olney, to the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB).

Bruce is the chief executive officer of Illinois Eastern Community Colleges (IECC) with colleges in Olney, Fairfield, Robinson, and Mt. Carmel. He was a U. S. Congressman from 1985 to 1993, where he served on the Education, Agriculture, and Commerce committees. Bruce also served as a State Senator from 1970 to 1984.  He is a past president of the Illinois Council of Community College Presidents.

State law requires that a member of the ICCB’s 11-member board also be a current community college president or chief executive officer.

Bruce replaces former ICCB member Dianne Meeks. His term expires on June 30, 2013.

Governor Quinn also re-appointed Jacob “Jake” Rendleman to the ICCB.

Rendleman is a businessman and farmer. He is a retired junior high school science teacher. Rendleman is a member of the John A. Logan College board of trustees and past president of the Illinois Community College Trustees Association. State law requires that a member of the ICCB’s 11-member board also be a current community college trustee.

Rendleman was elected to the Logan board in 1997. He has served as board chair and has held the offices of vice chair and president of the Logan Foundation. He is an honorary member of the college’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter.

Rendleman was first appointed to the ICCB in December, 2005. His current term expires on June 30, 2017.

“Jake Rendleman is a valuable member of the ICCB and Mr. Bruce’s experience in government and education will serve our community college system very well,” said ICCB Chairman Alexi Giannoulias. “We want to thank the Governor for these outstanding appointments.”

“The Governor’s appointments of Jake and Terry make a strong Board even stronger,” said Geoffrey Obrzut, president and chief executive officer of the ICCB. “Both are passionate advocates for our community colleges and their mission to afford open opportunity for Illinoisans to reach their higher education goals.”

Both Bruce’s appointment and Rendleman’s re-appointment require confirmation by the Illinois State Senate.

The ICCB is the state coordinating board for community colleges. Illinois is home to 48 community colleges in 39 districts and has the third largest community college system enrollment in the nation.