21 Vying For Open Hinsdale D86 Board Seat

HINSDALE, IL – This fall, two members of the Hinsdale High School District 86 board left in frustration.

Despite the controversies, residents are still vying to join the board.

Last month, the board picked Dr. Abed Rahman, a physician, for the position left vacant by Debbie Levinthal.

Now, the board is looking to fill the position previously held by Kay Gallo.

Twenty-one people applied for the position in time for the deadline last week. Fourteen of the candidates were among the 17 who submitted their names for Levinthal's seat.

Seven applicants are new this time – Edward Downs, Aly El-Dars, Sara Johnson, Chris Karam, Nehad Leonardson, David Mekhiel and Keyur Shaw.

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

Nine of the applicants are from Hinsdale, three each from Burr Ridge, Clarendon Hills and Willowbrook, two from Darien and one from Oak Brook.

This breakdown means the majority are from the Hinsdale Central High School attendance zone. The board now has four members from the Central zone and two from South. Before Levinthal left, the board held a 6-1 Central majority for two years.

Patch requested the candidates' information through a public records request. This time, though, the district published the information online.

The board plans to appoint a new member at its Dec. 21 meeting. It decided to conduct interviews of finalists behind closed doors.

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."

Edward Downs

• Town: Burr Ridge
• Occupation: Director of operations for a construction firm
• Passage from cover letter: "(W)e must look past the four-year high school term. When our students leave Hinsdale Central or South for the final time and enter the world as a student of life, we must be confident we provided them with all the knowledge and options that await them: College, Jr College, Scholarships, Trade Schools, Apprenticeship Programs, Job Placements. These are just the start of the options that await."

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."

Aly El-Dars

• Town: Willowbrook
• Occupation: Senior program management official, with experience in manufacturing and engineering
• Passage from cover letter: "A quality education coupled with a safe, clean, all-inclusive environment should be our goal for everyone. A safe environment only comes about if everyone is involved and not hiding behind social media accounts and special groups with their only interest is to destroy our cohesive communities and polarize us against each other."

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."

Sara Johnson

• Town: Burr Ridge
• Occupation: Former teacher
• Passage from cover letter: "When I was teaching, I did not confine myself to my classroom; rather, I continually stepped into leadership roles and implemented school-wide initiatives... (T)he bulk of my academic career has been dedicated to helping students who struggle academically either because of their ability or circumstances."

Chris Karam

• Town: Hinsdale
• Occupation: Owner of real estate investment firm
• Passage from cover letter: "I am a staunch advocate for financial literacy within the education system. As an entrepreneur specializing in real estate and holding a Bachelor's degree in Finance from Lewis University, I understand the pivotal role financial education plays in shaping responsible, empowered citizens."

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."

Nehad Leonardson

• Town: Burr Ridge
• Occupation: Technology industry
• Passage from cover letter: "Both parents and school want to provide the best education and experience to our students to prepare them for a bright future. The only way to meet these goals is through transparency, collaboration and honest communication."

David Mekhiel

• Town: Darien
• Occupation: Director of student services at Forest Park School District 91
• Passage from cover letter: "I feel that I have learned a tremendous amount over the last ten years and I feel that I would continue to learn through a different perspective as a board member.

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."

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."

Keyur Shah

• Town: Hinsdale
• Occupation: Orthodontist
• Passage from cover letter: "As a product of and as a leader in the Canadian education system, I can bring a fresh perspective in education. The influx of Hindu/Indian families in the Hinsdale area post-pandemic is very evident. A lot of these parents are my friends and deserve representation in the decisions about their children's education."

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."