By Jonah Marshall, JRN 111 Student
When you think about talking to a member of the Moraine Valley Board of Trustees, you envision a stuffy, intimidating policymaker sitting behind a big board room table.
But Wally Fronczek immediately dispels those assumptions, sitting down in his jeans and tan suit jacket with a friendly smile and talking with you in a comforting voice that sounds like he’s from the deep South, despite the fact he was born in Chicago.
As he laughs with you about going from someone who never even wanted to go to college in the first place to someone who spent his entire life in higher education, he makes you feel like you’re just talking to a friend over lunch.
“I came here and I just fell in love with the place,” Fronczek says.
When he was young, Fronczek was not a fan of school in general, but his parents and siblings pushed him to go to college. Now, at 65, his deep love for Moraine Valley comes up again and again, the driving force for so many decisions in his life.
Fronczek started as a Moraine student in 1978. After 40 years working here, he retired from his position as dean of Liberal Arts in June 2022 with visions of spending his days playing golf.
But he couldn’t stay away. As an elected member of the Board of Trustees–a volunteer position–he is now working for free to oversee the place he never wanted to go.
“I wanted to work full-time,” Fronczek said. “My parents said, ‘You’re going to school no matter what.’ I had no choice.”
One of the reasons his parents pushed so hard for him to go to college was that neither of them had a degree. Fronczek’s parents paid for his education, but he had to pay for everything else himself.
Fronczek falls in love with Moraine
Fronczek’s philosophy in choosing Moraine was that he would still be able to work while he attended. He initially worked in student activities, where he had some memorable moments, including the chance to eat lunch with former President Gerald Ford.
But even when you love something, that does not mean it will love you back right away or that the journey will be easy.
“I had a lot of fun. I met a lot of people,” he said, laughing. “I was really involved. But I didn’t always put academics first.”
One person he met was his wife, Laura. He did not get serious about education until he left Moraine Valley in 1981 and transferred to Saint Xavier University to major in criminal justice counseling.
He chuckles at the thoughts that went through his mind at the time, relatable for many college students: “You know, ‘Time for me to get my act a little bit together here. What do I wanna do? Damn, I better pass these classes.’ Or else things wouldn’t be too pretty at home.”
When Fronczek was at Saint Xavier, he was hired to become a drug and alcohol counselor at Crossroads, where he worked with young adults.
“Sometimes things would not always work out for them,” he said. “You get attached to people, you want them to succeed, so you put in a lot of time and then you also kind of care about them. And then things don’t always work out.”
Most days when he went home, Fronczek was really drained, and he decided counseling wasn’t for him.
Patty Fine, Fronczek’s former boss, reached out to him and said there was a supervisor position in student activities at Moraine Valley. Fronczek smiled at his memory when talking about Fine.
“He carries the mission of the college not as a duty but as a calling. His passion, his heart, is all about the Moraine Valley community.”
Moraine Valley President Pamela Haney
Fronczek started working at Moraine, and his decades-long journey of appreciation and love for the college began. He served as assistant dean of Liberal Arts for about ten years but had his goal set on being dean.
“I finally got the job, and I just loved that job, and I said ‘I’m never going to leave it,’” he said.
Fronczek was inspired to pursue his doctorate degree in community college leadership by former Moraine president Vernon Crawley. Crawley not only encouraged Fronczek, he found the degree program and wrote a letter of recommendation for him.
As dean, Fronzek expanded the Liberal Arts department, creating a variety of programs that are still used today, such as the American Sign Language program, the Speaking and Writing Center, and the Honors Program. He oversaw the development of degrees in Early Childhood Education and Fine Arts in Music, as well as the College 101 program and the COM 101 Bridge Program.
In 2006, he served as the community campaign manager for a successful $89 million referendum campaign, which brought many new facilities to campus.
Fronczek retires but can’t stay away from Moraine
After spending nearly his entire adult life serving Moraine Valley, it seemed time for Fronczek to relax and play a round of golf. But his retirement from the college didn’t quite stick, and he found himself back here, working for free as a member of the Board of Trustees. Fronczek’s family now pokes fun at him at the irony of his career.
“I always said when I retire, I want to do some community service,” he said. “People encourage you to do things. Because if people didn’t encourage me, I probably wouldn’t be here.
“I think community colleges have a lot to offer. We can do career programs; we can do transfer programs. We had that ability to make things good for you as a student. I wanted to be a part of that.”
Beth McElroy Kirkwood, chair of the Board of Trustees, admires Fronczek’s motives in returning to Moraine Valley.
“That automatically tells you of his dedication and that he wants to do what’s best,” Kirkwood said. “He wanted to continue the talent that he has. To work with students and work with our administration. And continue what’s best for Moraine Valley.”
The Board of Trustees is responsible for setting strategic goals for the college, approving the annual budget, and hiring and evaluating the college president.
Ironically, President Pamela Haney was Fronczek’s immediate supervisor when he was dean and she was vice president of Academic Affairs. But she doesn’t mind that the tables have turned.
“We have just been able to talk and share as friends and then also as colleagues,” Haney said. “Sometimes we’ll talk and he’ll ask me about my sons or my family or what’s going on.”
As a trustee, Fronczek is back in the swing of working and going to meetings, including lobbying in Washington, D.C., on important issues such as student finances. He still gets 30 emails a day.
And he’s as relatable now as he ever was. Fronczek said he still gets nervous even after being affiliated with Moraine Valley for so long.
“A little uncomfortable,” he said quietly. “Because I am a little bit introverted. So, all of a sudden now you’re having a meeting and there’s like 50 people watching, or you have to give a presentation.”
Overall, though, he just wants to see students flourish and do well in life. He is still friends with some of his past students, including one who is now an alderman for the city of Chicago.
Fronczek is a guy who is in education because he truly loves Moraine Valley. He does this not for praise or money but because he cares about doing dedicated work for his community.
“You don’t have to remember me at all,” he said. “The growth, the health of the college, is important to me. I don’t need my picture everywhere. I don’t want that, nor do I need it. I just want people to know I’m here to try to keep things going in the same place I was a student. The same experience that I had.”
Fronczek is not a scary trustee but a true friend to the college, someone who loves Moraine Valley despite never even wanting to come here in the first place.
“He carries the mission of the college not as a duty but as a calling,” Haney said. “His passion, his heart, is all about the Moraine Valley community.”
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