Tom Wendorf

Sees Education as Key to Economic Future for DuPage

Tom Wendorf's life took a wonderful turn because his wife went back to school at the College of DuPage. He's a true believer in the mission of the College as a result. He says, "What inspires me about COD is it helps people find new paths and things to do that are a better fit for them."

Tom and his wife Michelene moved to DuPage County twenty years ago so that he could take an executive position in a large company. Michelene, who had a masters in education and a proven flair for mathematics, decided to take accounting classes at COD. She did so well that she achieved the third highest score in the state on the CPA exam, and COD put her to work teaching accounting! Eventually, Michelene moved into a full-time position on the accounting faculty at DePaul. The stability of her new career allowed Tom to make new choices.

Tom's corporate job was keeping him on a plane, away from home, playing the politics of a large company. He felt disconnected from home and the local community—and he had always wanted to have a business of his own. So in 2000 he bought a small business franchise, put away his suitcases, and refocused his professional and personal commitments. He says, "I'll never make that kind of money again, but it's not about the money." He got involved with his church, joined several nonprofit boards, volunteered for PADS. He received training for some of his work with these boards and became familiar with how boards of directors function.

At a church retreat in 2008, soon after it was announced that Sunil Chand had been removed as President of COD, Tom got into a conversation with friends over lunch and decided to attend a Board of Trustees at COD to see for himself what was happening. He saw a Board that was overinvolved in management, so he responded. "I thought that surely this situation wasn't irreparable, so I started making comments at Board meetings, but the Board was tone deaf to the community. The Board tolerated our comments, but never discussed them."

Tom didn't imagine then that he would run for the Board of Trustees himself, but now he feels invested in helping to bring change to COD. "I’m not political, but I’m good at organizing, understanding, and analyzing things."

Tom's own father grew up on a truck farm outside of Milwaukee, graduated from high school during the Great Depression, and determined he was ready to do something more with his life. He attended a two-year technical college, became a tool-and-die maker, and eventually started his own successful manufacturing company. When the company finally sold in the 1990s, it had 400 employees and was one of the largest gasket makers in the US.

Telling the story of his own father inspires Tom to say, "COD is too important to not take action. Education is key to the economic future of the county."