Wright resigns from college board

Anna resident Wesley Wright on Jan. 4 announced that he is resigning as a member of the Shawnee Community College Board of Trustees.

Wright has served on the college board since 1989. He said his resignation was effective immediately.

Wright issued the following statement about his plans:

It has truly been an honor to be elected to serve the district four times, beginning in 1989.  

Over the last 22 years, it has been my privilege and pleasure to serve the citizens, taxpayers and students of the five-county district – if only for the chance to give back to an institution that gave me opportunities in life as a first-generation college student.  

During my tenure on the board of trustees, I have been very proud of the direction the board has been able to take the college.  

Through my service on the board and during my terms as chairman, I am most proud of keeping the community in our community college.  

Remaining focused on buying goods and services and hiring employees from within our college district has been foremost on my mind.  

It is important for a community college to help sustain its communities by investing in and supporting local businesses and spending the institutions money within the five counties.

I am also proud of the expansion and development of our extension centers which have given so many a chance to further their education close to home, and along with others, proud to have been an integral part of the establishment of the Anna Extension Center at Choate Mental Health and the new Anna Extension Center at the former Walmart – as well as seeing the board of trustees expanding extension centers in both Metropolis and Cairo.  

Since first elected to the board in 1989, I know that each of the board’s decisions made a difference in the lives of thousands of students in the area.  

I truly believe students in Alexander, Johnson, Massac, Pulaski and Union counties have an educational institution that will serve to start them out in life on the right track – just as Shawnee Community College was able to do for me.  

However, it is with deep regret – but with great confidence in the future of Shawnee Community College – that I must tender my resignation from the board of trustees, effective immediately.  

There are numerous personal factors that have brought about this decision, including but not limited to our daughter expecting our first grandchild out-of-state, additional traveling demands of my job and the time required to be a devoted trustee.  

Even within the past few months, I have felt guilty knowing I will be unable to attend meetings on a regular basis.

College trustees, as well as local school board members, have an obligation to the citizens they serve to attend regular board meetings and that is becoming more and more difficult for me.

Shawnee Community College is one of the top community colleges in the state of Illinois – with award-winning programs too numerous to mention and an administration, faculty and staff that works so hard for the students of the district even with a limited amount of resources and lagging state funding.  

I am confident the college is in good hands with Dr. Bellamy at the helm, and that gives me great comfort as I leave a seat that I have enjoyed, cherished, and for which I have worked hard to be a good trustee and a good advocate for all the constituents of the district.

The successes at Shawnee Community College must always be shouted from the mountaintops.  

As I leave this board of trustees, I will continue to tell our story of affordable, quality education provided close to home.


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