Closing of Lorado Taft Field Campus to be discussed on Oct. 26

OREGON – With the announced closing of Lorado Taft Field Campus by Northern Illinois University, the Oregon Depot Museum will present a panel discussion on the subject at 10 a.m., Oct. 26. Three local residents with ties to the campus will offer their insight.

Andy Colbert was Food Administrator Coordinator from 1980-2010 and also resided on campus for several years on security detail. He has a graduate degree in Public Administration from NIU and will offer an insider’s view on the changes in operational procedures that may have impacted the decision to close Taft.

Tim O’Rourke graduated with a teaching degree from Lorado Taft’s master’s program and for many years took Oregon fifth graders to the facility for a resident outdoor education experience. He will share a historical perspective of his time associated there from 1970 until the late 1990s when the Oregon school district ceased taking its 5th graders to Lorado Taft.

Both Colbert and O’Rourke are long-time residents of Oregon.

Melanie Costello is Campus Director/Outdoor Education Coordinator for the Lorado Taft Field Campus. From her hometown of Sycamore, she first came to Taft as a graduate assistant in 1998.

Now calling Stillman Valley home, Melanie oversees Taft program activities and its physical facilities. She also directs Taft department heads and serves as a liaison with the DeKalb campus. Melanie will share what has been happening at Lorado Taft in recent years and some of the challenges it has faced in today’s environment of higher education.

For more information about this presentation or other depot topics, please contact Roger Cain 815-757-9715, Chris Martin 815-742-8471 or Otto Dick 815-440-0639.