Heidi Holan, vice chair of the COD Board of Trustees, has announced that she is resigning from her position, as she is moving out of District 502. Holan was appointed to the board in 2019 after former Trustee Deanne Mazzochi was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives.
However, Holan’s initial appointment was not without criticism, after many questioned Mazzochi’s resignation timing and the subsequent addition of Holan without any community input. Holan was then elected in 2021, and secured an endorsement from Mazzochi as well as other previous COD trustees Frank Napolitano and Charles Bernstein in an open letter. Mazzochi, Napolitano and Bernstein were elected back in 2015 as “Clean Slate” candidates who ran on a campaign of “good governance and transparency” after claims came out about the misuse of college funds against then-COD President Robert Breuder.
During her election, Holan campaigned to limit the tax burden of funding the college by not supporting a tax increase for district citizens. She also desired to help maximize educational returns for students seeking transfers or to prepare degree holders for the workforce.
Even before her appointment, Holan held longstanding ties to the COD community. Holan, her husband, and both of their sons attended the College of DuPage. Holan has been a district 502 resident for 40 years. Previous to her role as a trustee, she was also a member of COD’s budget and academic committees.
Holan’s final meeting was on July 18, 2024, at which time she vacated her position. In her resignation statement, Holan said, “It truly has been a privilege to serve the district, and I leave with a profound respect for all of you and your efforts to ensure that all students achieve the success they seek and go even beyond that.”
In addition to her involvement at COD, Holan also ran for Illinois House of Representative for District 46, (encompassing Glendale Heights, Villa Park and parts of Bloomingdale) as the Republican nominee in 2014 and 2016. Both times she lost to the Democratic incumbent Deborah O’Keefe Conroy.
Her seat will be filled by a candidate appointed by the board of trustees until the 2025 election in April. To be eligible, candidates must be a United States citizen, reside in District 502 for at least one year and be registered to vote. Then, candidates must submit their CV and a letter of interest to [email protected] by Aug. 7. Applicants who have been approved must then be present at the Aug. 22 board meeting.
