The MCCC Board of Trustees has two seats open in the upcoming Nov. 5 election. Nine candidates are running: Benny Capaul, Joel Spotts, Duane Lebrun, Charlie Abel, Jamie O’Brien, Doug Stevens, Kristy Svatek-Whitson, John Gonta and Linda Roberts. Krista Lambrix, vice chair, and Joel Spotts, trustee, have spots up for re-election this year. Lambrix is not running again.
Benny Capaul: Benny Capaul is an MCCC alum and licensed funeral director. Capaul was awarded 2021 Alumnus of the Year, and he said his great grandfather served on the Board of Trustees. Capaul said his focus is the mental health of students and staff, as well as making sure everyone feels safe and gets a good education. He said he can provide a young and fresh perspective alongside generations of service.
Joel Spotts: Joel Spotts is an MCCC alum and current trustee on the board. He was appointed following the resignation of Florence M. Buchanan. Spotts was a Monroe County Middle College student and was part of the Alumni Association after graduation. Spotts said he wanted to make sure MCCC is as much of a resource to the community as it can be, and he said he hopes to see the college at its best for current and future students.
Jamie O’Brien: Jamie O’Brien is a community member who studied at MCCC. O’Brien said she has an engineering background, and said President Kojo Quartey said she’d be a good candidate to bring both mental and physical diversity to the board. O’Brien said she feels as though her experience teaching has provided her with wisdom to put to good use on the board. O’Brien said she hopes to put an end to the debates surrounding the bathroom policy.
Linda Roberts: Linda Roberts is a former MCCC employee who retired in February. Roberts worked in the Registrar’s office for over 20 years before retiring. Roberts said her experience working at the college would provide the board with an inside perspective if elected. She said she wants the college to be transparent about the millages and what taxpayer money is going toward.
Duane Lebrun: Duane Lebrun is an MCCC alum who would like to give back to the college. Lebrun said MCCC was responsible for starting his career at Detroit Edison, and he feels an obligation to run. Lebrun said he is now retired and has the time for the commitment to the board. He said he would like to see the college do more with financial matters, and he would also like to see anyone over 65 who pays taxes in Monroe County be able to take college classes for free.
Charlie Abel: Charlie Abel is a former MCCC employee who resigned in April 2023. He was a chief security officer for 4 years and with the security office for 7 years. Abel said he wants to see the taxpayers’ dollars be used better, and he said he would like to make the public more aware of President Quartey’s salary. Abel said he would also want to focus on graduation rates and improve them if they were low.
Doug Stevens: Doug Stevens is a business owner and a retired firefighter. Stevens said he would be able to utilize the skills he learned from being a firefighter and owning two businesses. He said he would dedicate the time to serve on the board. Stevens said he would like to see enrollment and graduation rates go up at the college.
Kristy Svatek-Whitson: Kristy Svatek-Whitson is an MCCC alum who ran for this position to serve her community. Svatek-Whiston said she is retired and can dedicate the time and energy to the college. She said she would like to help MCCC overcome hurdles it is facing, as well as incorporate a new policy that addresses spending and financial decisions at the college.
John Gonta: John Gonta is a Wayne County Community College graduate and an attorney based in Monroe. Gonta said he would like to focus on recruiting, and his background as a recruiter for the Army National Guard would benefit him. He said he would like to see a stop in the rise of tuition rates and see a freeze in tuition. Gonta said he would also like to focus on community involvement and public comment and hear from everyone.
