2 Tapped To Fill Vacancies on Moraine Valley Community College Board

PALOS HILLS, IL — A legislative affairs worker and an experienced educator were appointed to fill two vacancies on the Moraine Valley Community College Board of Trustees left by board members who resigned in December. Members also made history by appointing the first Black woman to serve on the college board. Jaclyn O’Day, of Palos Park, was sworn in on Tuesday, Jan. 24, and Tiffany Robinson, of Robbins, was sworn in on Tuesday, Jan. 31.

District residents interested in serving on the college board submitted resumes and letters on why they would make a good trustee, and went through extensive interviews. The appointees will serve through April 2025, when they have the option of running for full, 4-year terms.

O’Day has over 15 years of experience in legislative affairs. She currently is the executive director of the Problem Solvers Caucus. In this role, she guides bipartisan solutions to many of the nation's critical public policy issues by collaborating with 58 U.S. House of Representatives members and staff from across the country. She was the deputy chief of staff and then chief of staff for U.S. Representative Daniel W. Lipinski from 2019 to 2021 and was the chief of staff and administrator of legislative affairs at the Illinois Capital Development Board from 2015 to 2019.

Jaclyn O’Day, of Palos Park, was sworn in Jan. 24, to fill a vacancy on the MVCC board | Photo by Glenn Carpenter

Prior to that, O'Day was the deputy director of legislative affairs for the Illinois Department of Human Services for two years. She also served as chief of constituent services at the Illinois Department of Corrections and worked in the Office of Legislation as a James Dunn Fellow in the governor’s office.

O’Day earned her master of arts in public policy and administration from Northwestern University and bachelor of arts in communication from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she was the student body president her senior year.

“The depth and breadth of my experience, initiative, skills and demonstrated ability to work with diverse stakeholders enables me to make meaningful contributions to Moraine Valley Community College,” O’Day wrote in her submission to the college.

O’Day is replacing the seat left vacant by Bernadette Barrett, who is a Cook County Circuit Court judge and administered the oath of office during the swearing-in ceremony.

Robinson is an experienced educator who focuses on small group instruction and positive behavioral support to ensure success of students. She is the first Black woman to serve on the Moraine Valley Community College Board of Trustee and is a current trustee on the Village of Robbins board. Robinson currently is a Spanish/English language proficiency teacher and testing coordinator at the Deneen School of Excellence in Chicago. From 2018 to 2020, she was a learning behavior specialist at Westcott Elementary School in Chicago and a classroom teacher at two additional Chicago Public Schools prior to that.

An alumna of Moraine Valley, Robinson earned her associate of arts degree in 2009 and a bachelor of arts degree with a special education certification from Trinity Christian College in 2012. While a student at Moraine Valley, Robinson was the Student Government Association president.

“Moraine Valley Community College changed my life for the better as a returning adult student with four children,” Robinson said. “ I am elated and honored to be back humbly serving in a higher capacity on behalf of the students, families, faculty and staff of the college. I look forward to engaging with every stakeholder that is part of our Moraine Valley family and advocating on their behalf.”

Robinson is replacing the seat left vacant by Kim Hastings Cristelli. She was sworn in by Circuit Court Judge Lisa M. Taylor.