Board of Trustees

Paul Gorski was elected as a Rock Valley College Trustee in April 2017, to fill a two-year unexpired term. He was then re-elected to a full six-year term in 2019 and again in 2025. Paul has previously served as a Cherry Valley Township Trustee, Cherry Valley Library District Trustee, and Winnebago County Board member, and plans to bring his positive experiences from those leadership roles to his position as RVC Trustee. Paul is also involved locally as a contributor to The Rock River Times newspaper, and is the editor of the non-profit social media news outlets WinnebagoCountyNews.org and RockfordArtNews.com on Facebook and Twitter. As an IT administrator and part-time news reporter, Paul enjoys asking and fielding questions. 

Completed State Required Leadership Training on April 29, 2023, as required by the Illinois Public Community College Act, 110 ILCS 805/3-8.5

Kristen Simpson was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2023. She has lived in the area her entire life and graduated from Durand High School. Kristen, along with her husband and two of her daughters attended Rock Valley College, and she is excited that her son will soon be part of the Golden Eagles family. Kristen has a passion for photography and has had her own photography business since 2007. She is active with the Kinnikinnick Parent Teachers Organization (PTO), serving on committees, and organizing many events. Kristen has six children and one grandson.

Completed State Required Leadership Training on June 2, 2023, as required by the Illinois Public Community College Act, 110 ILCS 805/3-8.5

Dr. Jenna Goldsmith was elected in April 2025 to serve a six-year term. 

Dr. Jenna Goldsmith earned her BA and MA in English Studies from Illinois State University ('08, '10) and PhD in English from the University of Kentucky ('16). After graduation, she accepted a position at Oregon State University Cascades in Bend, where she lived and taught from 2016 to 2022. She moved back Illinois to become Assistant Director of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Illinois State University. In 2023, Jenna moved to Rockford to be closer to family and served as Lecturer at Rockford University from 2024-2024. In May of 2024, she returned to OSU Cascades, this time in a remote capacity, as the Director of the Low-residency MFA in Writing Program, a position she holds today. A practicing writer, Jenna has published 4 poetry chapbooks, including CRUSH, winner of the 2022 Baltic Writing Residency Chapbook Contest, and TITLE NINE, which was published in 2022 by Press 254, the teaching press of Illinois State University. Her first full-length poetry collection, The Worse for Wear, is due out later this year from Cornerstone Press/UW Stevens Point. Her work appears in numerous publications, including New Delta Review, South Carolina Review, and Cleveland Review of Books. She is Assistant Poetry Editor for Spoon River Poetry Review the oldest continuously published poetry journal in the state of Illinois and has served on the Governor's selection committee for the next Illinois Poet Laureate. She had the honor of serving as City Poet Laureate of Rockford from 2023-2025.

Jenna is an alum of Belvidere High School ('04) and a proud Rock Valley College Golden Eagle ('06). She resides in Rockford.

Gloria Cardenas Cudia was elected to the board in April 2019 and again in 2025 to serve another full six-year term. She graduated from Rockford West High School and studied at both Rock Valley College and Rockford College for courses associated with her positions as the Employee Relations Director at WIFR-TV and Rockford Clinic where she worked as a medical secretary and translator for over a decade. She retired from the Rockford Park District after 20 years of service as a staff marketing manager and an appointed Park District Commissioner. Gloria is a television producer and currently volunteers at the Comcast Cable Company to produce and host two public service programs. Gloria is also a non-denominational Christian ordained minister who retired after 16 years of service. The Rockford Register Star’s and Rockford Woman magazine’s panel of judges selected Gloria as the 2010 Rockford Woman of the Year because of her long-time service to the Rockford area community. Gloria and her late husband Frank have two adult married children and several grandchildren.

Completed State Required Leadership Training on June 2, 2023, as required by the Illinois Public Community College Act, 110 ILCS 805/3-8.5

John Nelson was elected to the Rock Valley College Board of Trustees in April 2017 and to a six-year term in 2021. He practices law in Rockford, Illinois as a sole practitioner. He obtained his BA in economics from St. Olaf College and graduated from Tulane Law School, New Orleans, Louisiana. He served as the City Attorney for the City of Rockford, Illinois from 1976 until 1980 and has been in private practice ever since. While in practice from 1980–1983, he served as part-time Winnebago County Public Defender. John is also on the Federal Defender Panel representing criminal clients in the U. S. District Court, Northern and Eastern Districts of Illinois. He has been a member of the Illinois Township Attorneys Association for 25 years and currently serves as President. He has served as the Harlem Township Attorney since 1993. In addition to practicing law, Attorney Nelson has a particular interest in politics having voted in the last five electoral colleges. He also served four years on the Illinois State University Parent Association serving his last year as President of the association.

Completed State Required Leadership Training on August 14, 2023, as required by the Illinois Public Community College Act, 110 ILCS 805/3-8.5.

Crystal Soltow was elected to a six-year term on the board in April 2021. She is what you call a “BNR,” born and raised in Belvidere, IL where she continues to play an active role in organizing and supporting community activities. Crystal is owner of Power Combat Fitness (PCF) in Belvidere where she actively teaches classes and serves as a fitness/life coach to help others pursue their health and wellness goals. As a busy mother of four, she also serves as vice president of the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) at her daughter’s school.

Completed State Required Leadership Training on June 2, 2023, as required by the Illinois Public Community College Act, 110 ILCS 805/3-8.5

Robert (Bob) Trojan was elected to the board in 2023 to serve a six-year term. He was first elected in April 2015 and in 2021 was appointed to fill a two-year unexpired term. He graduated from Chicago Vocational High School, served in the U.S. Marines and completed his BS in Mechanical Engineering from U of Illinois, and an MBA Marketing degree from Northwestern. He has spent his life working in and managing manufacturing companies, domestic and international. Bob came to the Rockford area in 1990 as President of Hydro-Line, Inc. and started Rockford Linear Actuation Inc. in 2002. His community service includes serving on boards of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce, Growth Dimensions, Abilities Center, Rockford Area Ventures, Community Foundation, Discovery Center, several committees dealing with manufacturing and a member of several voter referendums. He was a Community Member of the Rockford Register Star Editorial Board. Bob has been the Award recipient of the Chamber's Manzullo Individual Catalyst (2007), People You Should Know (2011) and the Robotics Make It Loud Award (2013). In 2022, he was nominated and was a finalist for the Ray Hartstein Trustee Achievement Award from the Illinois Community College Trustees Association. In 2023, Bob was nominated and presented with the Association of Fundraising Professional’s Outstanding Philanthropist Award. Bob and his late wife Norma's family includes three sons, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Completed State Required Leadership Training on June 10, 2023, as required by the Illinois Public Community College Act, 110 ILCS 805/3-8.5

Nico Mikos was elected Student Trustee in April 2024. He graduated from Harlem High School and is currently pursuing an Associate of Arts degree at Rock Valley College. Following graduation from RVC, Nico would like to transfer to the University of Illinois to pursue a bachelor’s degree in urban planning and a master’s in geography. He is a member of the Multi-Cultural Club at RVC and likes to keep active in the community. Some of his favorite activities include hiking, camping, and gaming.