State Rep. Martin Moylan Honors Oakton President Margaret Lee

(May 1, 2015) State Rep. Martin Moylan (55th District), former Des Plaines mayor (2009 to 2013), commended Oakton Community College President Margaret B. Lee, Ph.D., for her years of commitment to the people of the state of Illinois at a ceremony held at the College’s Des Plaines campus, 1600 East Golf Road, on Friday, May 1.

In late 2013, Lee asked the College Board of Trustees to not extend her contract beyond its June 30, 2015 expiration. Upon hearing of Lee’s impending retirement, Moylan sponsored a resolution adopted March 12 by the House of Representatives of the Ninety-Ninth General Assembly of the state of Illinois. In the resolution, representatives thank Lee for her years of dedication to Illinois residents.

The declaration cites Lee for “serving the people of Illinois with distinction since joining Oakton Community College” and that under her leadership, Oakton “has grown to become a premier community college, receiving national distinction for its performance while serving 450,000 residents in 16 municipalities.”

“To be acknowledged by the state of Illinois is an outstanding privilege,” said Lee. “During my tenure, I have continually worked with staff, faculty, and administrators to stress that the College as a whole needs to fulfill its role as an institutional citizen of the community and we are continually seeking new pathways to that end.”

Lee’s tenure at Oakton began in 1985 when she was named vice president of academic affairs. In 1995, Lee was appointed president, the third president in the institution’s history. A Wilmette resident, Lee holds a doctorate and master of arts degree in English language and literature from the University of Chicago, where she was a Ford Foundation Fellow in the Humanities and a Woodrow Wilson Dissertation Scholar in Women’s Studies.

Lee was named one of the “Most Powerful and Influential Women of Illinois” by the National Diversity Council in 2012. She has received numerous awards and distinctions for her work promoting equity, diversity, and lifelong learning and has provided visionary direction for higher education in the state and in the nation. Under her leadership, the New York Times named Oakton among the best community colleges in the country.

In March, Oakton celebrated the dedication of a 93,000-square-foot building named in her honor. The Margaret Burke Lee Science and Health Careers Center (the Lee Center), is home to the College’s anatomy, biology, chemistry, earth science, medical laboratory technology, nursing, physical therapist assistant, physiology, and physics programs.

Oakton Community College District 535 serves residents in the communities of Evanston, Glencoe, Glenview, Golf, Kenilworth, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northbrook, Northfield, Park Ridge, Skokie, Wilmette, Winnetka, and parts of Des Plaines, Mount Prospect, and Rosemont. With campuses in Des Plaines and Skokie, in sites throughout the district, and via a robust online presence, Oakton offers associate degrees in 80 fields of study as well as learning opportunities for career advancement and personal enrichment.