District 86 Appoints New Board Member

HINSDALE, IL — The Hinsdale High School District 86 board on Monday appointed a new member to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Nancy Pollak in late June.

The new member is Tamakia “TJ” Edwards, whose term will expire next April. She is the founder of Inner-View Coaching and Consulting Services, which helps technical professionals find their desired career placement by improving their performance and self-awareness.

Edwards is also the capital construction program manager and project executive for the U.S. General Services Administration’s Public Buildings Service. She provides recommendations for ongoing projects, major renovations, adaptive reuse of existing assets and potential new construction.

Edwards lives in Darien and has three sons — Messiah, who is a recent graduate of Hinsdale South; Chase, who is a seventh-grader at Eisenhower Junior High; and Damarius, who lives in Chicago and works as an analyst at Goldman Sachs.

“I want to thank the District 86 Board of Education for this tremendous opportunity,” Edwards said in a statement. “I consider it a true privilege to serve a community that has meant so much to me and my family, and I am ready to begin the critical work that must be done to help our students learn, grow and achieve.”

In a statement, board President Kevin Camden praised both Pollak and Edwards.

“I want to thank Nancy again for her dedicated service to our district and community,” Camden said. “I also want to congratulate TJ on her appointment, and welcome her to the board. We are excited to have someone with her knowledge and experience joining our team, and look forward to working alongside her in the year ahead to provide our students with a healthy and safe environment in which to pursue their ideal future.”

Edwards serves as a member of the special committee that works in conjunction with the district’s Facilities Committee. She also participates in and speaks at a variety of professional conferences, and served as the public relations liaison on the board of directors for Wells Temple of Deliverance.

Edwards earned her bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology and her MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

A total of 15 people applied for the opening on the board by the July 21 deadline, according to the district. Each candidate submitted a letter of interest and resume. The board selected four finalists from the pool of applicants, and conducted in-person interviews with them last week.