Heartland Board of Trustees fill vacant seat

The District 540 Board voted at their July 21 special meeting to appoint Senesta "Angell" Howard of Bloomington to serve as a Trustee. The appointment runs until April of 2027, when the remainder term will be on the ballot for election.

Angell Howard occupies the seat vacated on June 18, 2025, by the resignation of former Trustee Cecelia Long. Long’s full term was set to expire in 2029.

Howard is Associate Director of Professional Development and Staff Recognition at Illinois State University.  She is also the founder of Necessary Change Consulting, a professional consulting firm. 

Howard earned an Associate of Science degree from Heartland Community College and subsequently earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Master of Social Work from Illinois State University and is currently a doctoral candidate in Higher Education Administration at ISU. 

Howard has served on various advisory boards, policy committees, and steering groups, such as the ISU AI Policy Committee, the School of Social Work Advisory Board, and the Association of Black Employees Executive Team.

Howard will be officially seated at the July 29, 2025 Board of Trustees Retreat session, before the Board goes into closed session.