Viewpoints Board
The Community Viewpoints Board advises the Register Star on the Editorial Agenda and on topics of the day. They are conservatives, liberals and independent. Some are retired. Others are doctors, teachers, pastors, social workers and marketing specialists. Several members of the board agreed to blog on rrstar.com. They’ll share their views here on local issues. Their thoughts – as well as the opinions of other board members – also will appear with other opinion content online and in the newspaper in the Opinions section.

Viewpoints Board Bios

Here are brief bios of the Viewpoints Board bloggers:

Kerry Burd
Kerry Burd
Hometown: Caledonia
Age: 46
Occupation: Coordinator of the School Psychology and Educational Diagnostician departments, Rockford School District
Top concern: Education and race relations. “There are so many things people want to say to each other that aren’t said.”

Raymond Garcia
Dr. Raymond C. Garcia
Hometown: Roscoe
Age: 41
Occupation: Medical director, Singer Mental Health Center; assistant professor of clinical psychiatry, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford
Top concern: “A big issue we deal with at Singer is finding (patients) a home. They are ready to leave and often there is no place for them to go.”

Jan Herbert
Jan Herbert
Hometown: Rockton
Age: 59
Occupation: Special projects coordinator, Rockford Park District
Top concern: “We are all so time-starved,” leading to her worries about nature deficit disorder. “The environment is my passion.”

Herbert Johnson
The Rev. Herbert Johnson Jr.
Hometown: Rockford
Age: 32
Occupation: Pastor, Liberty Baptist Church
Top concern: “How to attract and develop business professionals in our communities.”

Phil R. Knight
Hometown: Machesney Park
Age: 34
Occupation: Conferencing consultant
Top concern: “Crime. Five thousand-plus crimes per 100,000 residents in Rockford? Whoa! What’s wrong with that picture?”

Ed Leach
Ed Leach
Hometown: Rockford
Age: 64
Occupation: Retired engineer, Woodward Governor; currently the volunteer construction coordinator for Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity
Top concern: “Low-cost, affordable housing. If you can provide affordable housing, some of the education problems will be resolved. You’ll have a safe place to study and not be in danger just by being in your own house.”

Erin Werthman
Erin Werthman
Hometown: Rockford
Age: 28
Occupation: Public relations and development for the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford
Top concern: “My big issue is education and young professionals in the community. We are losing them to other big cities.”