Continuing her dedication to public service, Patricia Joan Murphy, of Crestwood, was elected in April to serve a two-year term on the Moraine Valley Community College Board of Trustees.
“When I first thought about running for the Moraine Valley board and read the mission, I felt an immediate kinship,” Murphy said. “The community college system provides education to a diverse multi-cultural society. I am excited to be on the board and hope to be able to be a part of helping the school grow and prosper.”
Being an active participant in the 2019 gubernatorial race in Illinois inspired Murphy to be involved in the goals for the state that include expanding partnerships to ensure students are prepared to enter the workforce. “I believe to fix Illinois’ financial woes we need to offer superior, affordable education for all. Offering the best schools is where we start,” she said. “I think this will attract both students and businesses to the 26 municipalities in and around Moraine Valley, all contributing to our economic health.”
Her goals while serving on the Moraine Valley board include growing partnerships between high schools, businesses, communities and vocational programs at the college, working with legislators to support infrastructure and funding opportunities, and contributing her time and abilities to help Moraine Valley shine as a first choice.
Murphy, who holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Boston University, is the property manager for her family’s real estate holding company and has owned her own business for 25 years. In 2018, she was elected to a four-year term as Worth Township Democratic Organization Committeeman.
In addition, she volunteers on the board that sponsors Salute to our Armed Forces, an event her late mother, Joan Patricia Murphy, created and is a board member of Sacred Transformations, a nonprofit dedicated to helping people who are tattooed, scarred, branded or burnt from negative experiences transform those marks into art pieces that inspire a new positive life path.
Moraine Valley President Dr. Sylvia M. Jenkins welcomed Murphy, along with the other new trustees Beth McElroy Kirkwood and Bernadette Barrett, 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 insure everyone has access to an exemplary education,” she said.
