When weighing a potential candidacy for Allen Community Board of Trustees, Alana Cloutier considered the college’s name.
“It’s Allen Community College, not Iola Community College. And when I learned that no one on the board is from Humboldt, I felt like someone should step up.”
Cloutier is one of four registered candidates who have thrown their hats in the ring for three open seats on the Allen Community College Board of Trustees. Voters will choose between Cloutier, Vicki Curry, Gena Clounch, and Corey Schinstock. Roger Campbell is also coordinating a write-in campaign.
Cloutier, 45, grew up in northern California and moved to Humboldt in 2017. She’s since become one of the town’s fiercest champions. With her husband Paul, the couple are integral parts of A Bolder Humboldt and have worked on numerous development projects around town.
Just don’t ask when Union Works Brewing Co. is going to open. That, or Idle Hour Books, a bookstore Cloutier plans on opening. Both projects are close to finished, says Cloutier, but the first question she inevitably hears around town is, “When’s the brewery going to open?” No idea, said Cloutier. But they’re hiring.
Outside of her work with A Bolder Humboldt, Cloutier is active in political organizing, which was another motivation for her to run for the position. “Several people called me and said I thought I should,” said Cloutier. “Plus, a big part of my organizing work is to never leave empty spots on ballots.” So here she is.
CLOUTIER has, in her words, a “long and varied list” in her educational history. She’s done home school. Bilingual school. Public. Private. Community college. And she believes those experiences would make her an excellent advocate for Allen.
“Community colleges are great options to start, or finish, a degree. Allen also keeps kids in the community for a little bit longer, too. Not everyone wants or is able to go to a four-year school, and it’s hard to know what you want to do when you’re 18. It’s a great resource to have in a community.”
If elected, “the main thing I want to do is advocate for Humboldt. I want to link Humboldt to the community college a little more, in any way I can,” said Cloutier.
That attitude helps characterize her approach to solving problems. “I like to get involved. I Iove figuring out what the problem is, finding out who has the solution, and getting everyone talking.”
CLOUTIER believes the college could do much more to engage not just with Humboldt, but with all of Allen County. It’d benefit students, local businesses, and small towns that are desperate to grow.
“I see Allen students at Walmart,” said Cloutier, “but we see very few in Humboldt. They’re kind of siloed on campus.
“How could we get students more connected to our community?” she wondered. “Maybe they’ll want to stay here, or come back here later in life.” At the very least they’ll walk away from rural Kansas with a positive impression of small towns. “They can leave Allen County and say, ‘There was a lot of cool stuff to do here.’”
VOCATIONAL training is at the top of Cloutier’s list of action items. With a state park in the works and Humboldt’s downtown experiencing a once-in-a-generation renaissance, Cloutier sees a growing need for younger workers.
“It’s not just Gates, B&W, and Russell Stover anymore. We need people running hotels, or being a park ranger, or starting restaurants.
