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Community Unit School District #205 |
| Galesburg, Illinois | |
| .............Helping Students Achieve Their Dreams......... |
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Board of Education |
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Barry Swanson is a life-long Galesburg resident. He holds a BA degree from Illinois Wesleyan University, a MS degree from Western Illinois University and an earned doctorate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Barry was a teacher, administrator and coach in District 205 for 26 years. He completed his public school service as an administrator in the Chicago Suburbs. He currently holds the position of full-time lecturer in the Department of Educational Organization and Leadership and is a member of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign faculty. His wife, Gail (1966) and three children, Lara Wilson (1990), Luke (1994), and Matt (1997) are all GHS graduates. Barry joined the District 205 Board of Education in April 2005 with the intention of impacting policy making decisions that are in the best interests of the district’s children and the community. |
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Mike Nelson was born and raised in Galesburg, Illinois, graduating from Galesburg High School in 1976. Immediately upon graduation was inducted in the U.S. Air Force and became a member of the U.S. Security Service. After discharge he went to work for Alton Packaging (now Smurfit-Stone Corporation). He acted as President of the local union for 9 years, serving on contract negotiations committees, processing union grievances and other company/union related disputes. Mike is married to Pat Nelson. They have two daughters; Carrie, a 1996 GHS graduate and Christie a 2002 grad. Having raised two successful, highly motivated children that benefited from public education in Galesburg, Mike is a spokesman for what is good about the district. He was a pro-active parent, attending school functions and volunteering when needed. Over the years he has had contact with faculty and staff, of all levels, and is a strong advocate for their concerns. When asked if he would consider running for the Board he decided that it was his obligation to give back to the community. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Bob Lindstrom is a life-long resident of Galesburg. He holds a BA degree from Coe College and a JD degree from Drake University. He also attended the University of Iowa Graduate Business School. Bob is a partner in the Galesburg law firm of Mustain Lindstrom & Henson. He and his wife, Priscilla, and their three children, Scott, Doug, and Mary, all attended District 205 schools. In 2004, Priscilla retired from District 205 after 24 years of service to the district. Bob was first elected to the Board of Education in 1997. His work in local economic development efforts made him aware of the importance of an outstanding public school system in attracting business to the Galesburg community. |
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Deborah Harrison has lived in our community for the past 24 years. She is a graduate of Rock Island High School and attended Blackhawk and Carl Sandburg Colleges. She holds a certificate in Business Management and works for the State of Illinois Department of Employment Security. Deborah has two children, Tiffany and LaRance, who are both GHS graduates. Deborah sought election in 1995 because of her sincere interest in seeing that all children are given the opportunity to succeed and reach their potential. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Gloria Osborn has resided in Galesburg for 36 years. She graduated from Western Illinois University with a degree in business, received a Masters degree in Business Administration from St. Ambrose University and is the Finance Director for the City of Galesburg. Gloria and her husband, Kevin, have two sons, Kyle and Ryan, and one daughter, Kirsten. Gloria has been a member of the Board since April, 1999. She decided to seek election because she wanted to be involved in decision making for the education of the children of this community. She feels that education is an important piece of our children's lives since they will be our future leaders. |
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Mike Panther is a lifelong resident of our community, He attended Knox College, the University of North Dakota and earned his masters degree from Western Illinois University. He is a sixth grade teacher at ROWVA East and his wife, Mary, teaches at Galesburg High School. The Panthers have two children - Megan, who graduated in 1999, and Reed, a 2002 graduate. Mike joined the Board in 1997 because he felt that with his background in education and his interest as a parent, he could make a difference in the educational opportunities offered to Galesburg children. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Carl Strauch has called Galesburg his home for 25 years, along with his wife, Debbie, and two children - Chris, a 2000 graduate, and Laura, a 2002 graduate of GHS. Carl is a physician, having earned his B.S. from Purdue University, his M.S. from NIU and his M.D. from the University of Illinois. It has always been important to Carl to be involved in making sure our children get a quality education. He served on various district committees before being elected to the board in 1995. |
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