New Faces to Join D-26 Community Engagement Committee

The one-year term for the Community Engagement Committee came to an end for the three members on Tuesday, Feb. 22. Linda Hamann, Ken Hillman and Anna-Lise Santella terms came to an end at critical time for School District 26.

But the community has stepped up and those three panel positions will be filled by Stephanie Franco, who's a retired D-26 teacher, Jacob Vandemoortel, who's a high school teacher in Elgin and Jennifer Norton, a member of the Cary community for 12 years and present parent of a Cary Junior High School seventh grader. All of their terms will begin on Mar. 14.

Katari Bender's term will end on Mar. 22 and will be filled by Eleni Tsilimigras, who's been in Cary community for two years and investigator with the State Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

Josh Howell, who has worked seven years with municipal government and K-12 school districts in Chicago, will fill the fifth panel position. His term is set to start on May 16.

Approvals for these members are to be finalized at the regular Board of Education meeting on Feb. 28, 7 p.m. at Cary Junior High School, 2109 Crystal Lake Rd.