Orland Park resident Bernadette Barrett was elected in April to serve a six-year term on the Moraine Valley Community College Board of Trustees. Her desire to give back to the community is one of the reasons she decided to run for one of three open seats on the board.
“Moraine Valley truly provides a top educational program that opens gateways to the future on an affordable basis for individuals of varying ages and talents,” said Barrett, who is an attorney. “I believe my skill set will enhance the college and community. Quite simply, I wanted to give back to the community utilizing the skills I garnered as an attorney and my love of education.”
Barrett has set several goals for her tenure on the board. “My long-term goal is to leave the college and the community in a better position than when I was first sworn in as a member of the Board of Trustees,” she said. “I want every vote I participate in to be on sound legal and ethical ground made only after careful consideration, research and review of the laws governing the board’s actions, and the application of those laws and the impact of the decisions on the college and community as a whole.”
Barrett received her juris doctorate from Loyola University. She has been a licensed attorney in Illinois since 1991 and a certified mediator for four years. She practices in the southwest area concentrating on family law and corporate and civil litigation. Barrett is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Southwest Bar Association and the Will County Bar Association. She serves on the board of directors for the Rise of the Ashes Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides legal services for victims of domestic violence. She also is the president of the Orland Township Democratic Organization.
Moraine Valley President Dr. Sylvia M. Jenkins welcomed Barrett, along with the other new trustees Patricia Joan Murphy and Beth McElroy Kirkwood, to the board. “I welcome all of our new trustees to the board and look forward to working with them. I am confident the college will continue to keep student success as a top priority and ensure everyone has access to an exemplary education,” she said.
