Lake County Gazette

Shields Township GOP Chairman Dan Rogers is rallying support for Jan Gibson and Dawn Abernathy, who are running for the College of Lake County (CLC) District #532 Board in the April 1 election. 

Rogers said the GOP is focused on promoting education over diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and described the candidates as strong conservatives committed to improving the educational priorities of the college.

“We've got Jan Gibson and Dawn Abernathy running for CLC board,” Rogers told the Lake County Gazette. “So that'll kind of be our focus. Shields (GOP) is trying to get the word out about them and supporting them for CLC. The people that are running it want to promote more of the education end and less of the DEI. They're good conservative candidates and as the township GOP, we want to say we want to support the conservative candidates.”

Gibson, a 77-year-old Lake Forest resident of 30 years, has a background in education, business, and community service. 

She taught college prep English at Township High School District 214 and coached debate before transitioning into business, where she founded a company that trained school districts in personal computing and later managed the Genesee Theatre.

In addition to her professional career, Gibson has volunteered with several local organizations, including the Lake Forest Library Board, the Lake Forest Preservation Foundation, and the Women’s Republican Club. She has also served as President of Friends of the Library.

Abernathy, a Mundelein resident, is a former Trustee for the Village of Mundelein. She holds a Master’s in Education from National-Louis University and a Bachelor’s in Politics and Public Affairs from the University of Miami. 

Abernathy ran for the State House of Representatives in 2016, but lost the race.

“That's going to be our focus to try to get the word out and get them across the finish line so that we keep conservative representation on the CLC board," Rogers said. 

In 2022, CLC enrolled 11,651 students across its campuses in Grayslake, Waukegan, and Vernon Hills, including 3,745 full-time and 7,906 part-time students.

A central theme in Rogers’ message is the belief that CLC students should be evaluated based on their academic merit, rather than their race or ethnicity. 

The focus on moving away from DEI initiatives comes as President Donald Trump issued an order to end DEI practices in the federal government, marking a shift away from affirmative action policies that have been in place since the 1960s.

Trump’s order specifically targets race-conscious policies in federal contracting, education, and private institutions, arguing that DEI initiatives violate federal civil rights laws. 

Rogers stressed the importance of scholarships and grants based on students' achievements, rather than their background.

“The important thing is that these kids that are trying to get into CLC and that are going there, they're assessed on their education and who they are and not on the color of their skin or their background,” Rogers said. 

He pointed to his involvement with “Faith on the Fairway,” a local scholarship program that partners with North Chicago schools. The program offers scholarships based on grade point averages and achievements, rather than race or ethnicity.

“Faith on the Fairway works with North Chicago schools, and it's all based on the kids’ grade point average and their accomplishments, not on whether they're black, white or Hispanic. And I think that's the way it should be. That's what we support.”

Rogers remains firm that merit-based education should be upheld. He expressed concerns about students being overlooked because of their race or ethnicity.

“Let's not take our opportunity away from kids that have worked hard to meet the requirements and to get themselves in a position to go to a school like CLC and have them either get a grant or get a scholarship or get their application accepted based on the color of their skin," Rogers said. "Let's do it based on their accomplishments. Some of these kids have worked really hard and end up not succeeding because of their skin color or their ethnic background, I think it is just wrong from every level.”