DANVILLE – For years, Dave Harby has been an advocate for Danville Area Community College.

This year, Harby, a DACC graduate and longtime member of the college's board of trustees, also will be advocating for community colleges throughout the state as the chairman of the Illinois Community College Trustees' Association. His term as chairman began on July 1 and runs through June 30, 2011.

"I'm really passionate about DACC and its mission," Harby said. "This is just a continuation of that passion. I'm honored to get to represent everyone in the community college system."

Created in 1970, the Illinois Community college Trustees Association is a statewide organization serves as the voice of the state's 39 community college boards.

Its mission is to provide opportunities for trustees to exchange information and to promote action for the common good of member colleges.

"We meet to learn about issues and help us be better trustees at our colleges," said Harby, who served as vice chairman last year and a regional chair the year before that. "We also do a lot of legislative advocacy for community colleges. We also work closely with the Illinois Community College Board and with college presidents."

DACC President Alice Jacobs said Harby is a respected leader among community college trustees both locally and statewide.

"We're certainly excited that he'll be at the table when important decisions are being made about the future of community colleges," she said.

A lifelong Vermilion County resident, Harby graduated from Catlin High School in 1972, then earned an associate degree from DACC in 1974. He earned a bachelor of science degree in business administration, concentrating in insurance and finance, from Illinois State University in 1976.

Harby has been a Country Financial representative since 1977. Since entering the financial services field, he has earned a certified financial planners license and chartered life underwriter and chartered financial consultant" designations.

Harby was elected to the DACC board in 1999 and was selected as vice chair by fellow trustees in 2005. He also serves on the Higher Education Finance Study Commission, which is studying higher-education financing and will make recommendations to the General Assembly.

As a trustee, Harby has attended most DACC events and volunteered at the National Junior College Athletic Association's Men's Division II national basketball tournament since 2000. In addition, his company has been a sponsor of that tournament and DACC's annual Scrabble tournament to benefit its adult literacy program.

In addition to his DACC service, Harby serves on the Catlin United Methodist Church's administrative council as a lay leader and is president of the Catlin School District Foundation. He is a former Vermilion County Board member and has been involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Danville, the Vermilion County Mental Health 708 and United Way of Danville.