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Payne, DeFilippo win SSC Board

by Josh Bootsma

SOUTH HOLLAND, Ill. (April 5, 2019) – Lansing resident and Village Clerk Vivian Payne took home a win in the race for Trustee of the South Suburban College Board on April 2, as did her running mate Anthony DeFilippo. Payne claimed a decisive win with 44.8% of the vote, soundly beating her opponent, Max Solomon, who achieved only 24.61%. DeFilippo received 30.58%. Only two of the seven Trustee positions were up for election this year.

South Suburban College District 510 includes 18 villages in Chicago’s south suburbs. Lansing is the third largest village in this district.

Payne has been a Lansing resident for 25 years, serving as Village Clerk since being elected in April of 2017. She has served on the South Suburban College (SSC) Board since November of 2017, when she was appointed to replace Jacqueline Martin, who had resigned.

Votes of confidence

“I’m feeling really good. Because I’m so new to the college Board I was a little nervous. But I’m feeling really good and really thankful that I’ve had so much support,” Payne said in response to her victory.

DeFilippo, a Calumet City resident, has been on the SSC Board since 1989.

“I feel very satisfied that people recognize what a good job we’re doing at South Suburban College,” he said. “This isn’t so much an indication of anything more than what the college has been doing in the community for years. …The taxpayers, the students, and all interested parties just gave South Suburban College a vote of confidence.”

Campaign lessons

This year’s SSC Board campaign was the first for Payne, who shared her biggest lesson from the experience: “You gotta get out there. You gotta get your face out there, you have to knock on doors, and you gotta meet people. I think it’s really important that people know who you are because people don’t like voting for folks they don’t know.”

Payne spent her evening on April 2 at JJ Kelley’s with the Village Voice Party. She gave a brief victory speech after the Trustee candidates made their comments. Though Payne is not a member of the Village Voice Party, she works closely with party members in her role as Village Clerk. DeFilippo joined her at JJ Kelley’s later in the evening.

Continuing the work

The two expressed interest in pursuing grant opportunities for the college, continuing to work on dual credit hour programs to benefit high schoolers, and focusing on programs for adult education.

There are seven South Suburban College Board Trustees, each of whom serve six-year terms. The Board meets once every month.

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Josh Bootsma
Josh Bootsma
Josh is Managing Editor at The Lansing Journal and believes in the power and purpose of community news. He covers any local topics—from village government to theatre, from business openings to migratory birds.