Bette Chilton joined Kishwaukee College as the new Dean of Health and Education. She assumed her duties on July 1.
Chilton joins KC as new Dean of Health and Education
Bette Chilton joined Kishwaukee College as the new Dean of Health and Education. She assumed her duties on July 1.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Bette Chilton has joined Kishwaukee College as the Dean of Health and Education. She assumed her new duties on July 1.
Chilton holds both a BSN and MSN from Northern Illinois University and comes to Kishwaukee from the DeKalb County Health Department, where she served for nine years: four years as the WIC/Case Management Coordinator and the last five as Director of Personal Health Services.
Chilton is no stranger to Kishwaukee College. Before her position at the DeKalb County Health Department, Chilton had been a Nursing instructor at the College for seven years, teaching classes in maternal and child health, community health, med/surg clinical rotations, and fundamentals of nursing. Prior to entering the classrooms of Kishwaukee as an instructor, Chilton was instrumental in opening the Tri-County Health Clinic located on the Kishwaukee College campus.
Chilton is the first Dean of Health and Education, a new division created from a reorganization of programs. “The new division houses all the health related programs at the College - Nursing, Radiology, Emergency Medical Services and Therapeutic Massage - and the Education Programs - Early Childhood, Paraprofessional, Physical Education and Education transfer - as well as the Wellness Center,” Chilton explained. “This creates a natural collaboration that focuses on wellness and prevention, two passions of mine.”
Under the new division, each of the nursing and allied health programs will have a program coordinator with extensive teaching and clinical experience. The program coordinators will provide the leadership necessary to maintain these comprehensive healthcare programs that include classroom, lab, clinical experiences. Chilton will oversee program development and evaluation as well as work directly with faculty and students.
Because Chilton has always focused on education within the health field and has extensive experience working with children and families through her time with the Health Department, she is excited to oversee the Education Programs. “I think it is exciting to guide the programs that will create our future teachers,” she said. “In education, we have an opportunity to influence and almost “hard-wire” children to be aware and make good choices inside and outside the classroom.”
Because the Health and Education division is new for this academic year, Chilton plans to allow time for everyone to acclimate to the new organization. She said, “ I want to observe and work with the faculty to help define this division and my position as Dean. We need to find what works best for the students, the programs, and the institution as a whole.”
Chilton is excited to be back on the Kishwaukee College campus. “One of the great things about Kishwaukee College has always been the people,” she explained. “The people here want to work for all the right reasons and are passionate and committed to working with students. It is so empowering to watch lives being changed through education.”
