17 Seek Open Hinsdale D86 Board Post

HINSDALE, IL – Seventeen residents are seeking a position on the Hinsdale High School District 86 board.

It was left vacant last month by member Debbie Levinthal, who left suddenly out of frustration with her colleagues.

The applicants for the position include three physicians and four men named Mark. Also seeking the job are two former District 86 board members, two former unsuccessful board candidates and a current member of the Hinsdale District 181 board.

Seven of the applicants are from Hinsdale, four from Willowbrook, three from Clarendon Hills, two from Darien, one from Oak Brook and none from Burr Ridge.

That means the majority of candidates are from the Hinsdale Central High School zone. Five of the six members of the current board are from the Central area. So was Levinthal.

Patch obtained the applicants' information through a public records request.

The board aims to narrow down the list to five to eight finalists, whom it plans to interview behind closed doors. It is legal to hold a closed session for such a purpose, although it could be done in public.

The board says it hopes to make a decision by next Thursday's meeting.

Here are the names of the candidates and their information:

Katie Ahern

• Town: Hinsdale
• Occupation: Real estate broker
• Passage from cover letter: "With a background as a real estate broker with 20 years of experience in our community, I have witnessed firsthand the significant impact that schools have on home values and the overall desirability of our neighbors."

Andrew Catton

• Town: Hinsdale
• Occupation: Director of manufacturing
• Political experience: He was a candidate for the school board in the April 2023 election, coming in fourth out of five on the ballot.
• Passage from cover letter: He said he wanted to take a proactive role in improving the district. "I began by attending (school board) meetings starting in the summer of 2020, as it became apparent the district was lacking in leadership to function effectively through the pandemic." He said the "resignation of Debbie Levinthal, although unfortunate, represents an opportunity for the community to be heard again by listening to the roughly 5K+ who voted in support of me in April."

Sinead Duffy

• Town: Clarendon Hills
• Occupation: Financial analyst
• Political experience: Board member for Hinsdale School District 181 since 2019
• Passage from cover letter: "I have demonstrated through my tenure as a member of D181 school board the ability to build good working relationships and trust both with the administration. This role has allowed me to be attuned to the thoughts and needs of current and future D86 parents and community members."

Bob Fischer

• Town: Hinsdale
• Occupation: Director of tech operations, McMaster-Carr Supply Co. in Elmhurst
• Passage from cover letter: "My corporate leadership for end-user compute, server infrastructure, information security, and vendor contract negotiation maps one-for-one with potential board assignments. I'm certainly used to working with peers on red-lining the fine print and meeting with outside counsel."

Nathan Hall

• Town: Clarendon Hills
• Occupation: Partner at healthcare consulting firm
• Passage from cover letter: "Serving on the D86 Board would afford me a position to help influence and cultivate our tremendously successful schools. I believe the Board should empower our educational leaders and provide them the tools they need to continue making an enormous, positive impact on our kids and young adults."

Todd Hultmark

• Town: Darien
• Occupation: Sales consultant and project manager
• Passage from cover letter: "I would like to be on the Board of Education to help ensure that the present and future children of D86 continue to receive the same opportunities that were given to me."

Heather Kartsounes

• Town: Hinsdale
• Occupation: Senior general counsel for Rush University Medical Center
• Passage from cover letter: "During the many years I have lived within the D86 community, I have lived within the boundaries for both Hinsdale South and Central and feel as this gives me a unique perspective that may be welcomed by the community."

George Kumis

• Town: Darien
• Occupation: Retired senior banker
• Political experience: Board member for District 86 from 2003 to 2011
• Passage from cover letter: "My approach as a potential Board member would be to understand issues, listen to the opinions of other members of the Board, listen to input from administration, teachers, and students, and listen to the community, in order to evaluate the issues, express my opinion, and to reach a conclusion, while respecting the actionable results."

Resham Mendi

• Town: Oak Brook
• Occupation: Physician
• Passage from cover letter: "My background as a local business owner and practicing physician has ... given me a unique perspective on the diverse needs of our community. I understand the importance of fiscal responsibility, effective leadership, and the delivery of high-quality services, all of which are essential elements of a thriving school district."

Mark Montgomery

• Town: Hinsdale
• Occupation: Former math teacher
• Passage from cover letter: "Like so many families, we moved to Hinsdale, (so we) could have access to our community's award-winning and nationally recognized schools... I'm ready to step up to ensure that Hinsdale's high schools continue to offer the highest quality programming, both curricular and extracurricular, for the support and benefit of every student."

Mark Pera

• Town: Hinsdale
• Occupation: Retired Cook County prosecutor
• Political experience: Board member for Lyons Township High School from 2001 to 2014
• Passage from cover letter: "I have no hidden agenda or axe to grind. Our priority is to provide an exceptional learning environment for all of our students in facilities that are conducive to learning and to support fully our administrators, teachers and support staff."

Mark Pinnow

• Town: Willowbrook
• Occupation: Senior financial manager
• Political experience: Ran for the District 86 board in 2021. Co-chairman of the successful campaign for a $15 million referendum for Gower School District 62 in 2020
• Passage from cover letter: "I believe the analysis of data before it is presented to the community is something the district needs to do better with regards to both academic performance as well as goal setting."

Abed Rahman

• Town: Willowbrook
• Occupation: Physician
• Passage from cover letter: "I am familiar with both schools and the positive reputation they both have. The belief I hold is both schools are excellent for education and activities and as a board member to keep them both moving forward. We are a close group in the Hinsdale Community, and both schools need a unified voice within the school board."

Ciro Ramos Estebanez

• Town: Hinsdale
• Occupation: Physician
• Passage from cover letter: "I believe my leadership experience in the medical field, the research arena, and scientific and medical education could be invaluable to the Board. More importantly, it would be a pleasure to continue giving back and investing in our beloved students' future."

Marty Turek

• Town: Clarendon Hills
• Occupation: Regional vice president for a company
• Political experience: District 86 board member from 2019 to 2021. Hinsdale School District 181 board member from 2011 to 2019.
• Passage from cover letter: "During my tenure as a board member, I negotiated teachers' contracts, superintendent contracts, hired and fired superintendents and resolved conflicts both internal and external and all the while felt I did with decorum, honesty and respect for all."

Samia Wahab

• Town: Willowbrook
• Occupation: Most recently vice president of public relations
• Passage from cover letter: "I have attended a number of Board of Education meetings and have been looking for an opportunity to get involved. I believe I have a lot to offer the Board of Education in terms of background and experience, enjoy giving back to my community, and enjoy working with like-minded individuals."

Mark Wesolowski

• Town: Willowbrook
• Occupation: Multi-tiered systems of support and assessment specialist
• Passage from cover letter: "I have worked successfully to manage logistic, emotional, and financial obstacles in order to systematically serve student needs. These include systemic and personal barriers experienced by marginalized groups, educator mindsets, and school leadership dynamics that affect the building of sustainable systems, structures, and routines."