New District 181 Board Member Chosen To Fill Vacant Seat

HINSDALE, IL — William Merchantz was appointed to the Community Consolidated School District 181 Board of Education at its Wednesday, Sept. 12 meeting. The district said Merchantz is filling the vacant seat left by former Board Member Leslie Gray, who resigned Aug. 15, as a result of her family moving outside of district boundaries.

According to the district, Merchantz has been involved in District 181 and the community for years, including positions on the Finance Committee, the Digital Learning Environment Team and the Hinsdale Village Caucus. As a board member of the University of Illinois Foundation and founding chair of the University of Illinois Chicago Alumni Association, Merchantz also has governance experience.

“I have always been a proponent of a learning-driven school system, with the best teachers and facilities that our taxes can support, resulting in great outcomes from our students, all in support of their parents,” Merchantz said in a release.

Merchantz and his wife, Cathy, live in Hinsdale where they raised their two children. Both children attended Monroe School, then Clarendon Hills Middle School, and graduated from Hinsdale Central High School.

“With his years of involvement in the District and governance experience, Mr. Merchantz will be able to hit the ground running. We are looking forward to his contributions as a Board member,” Board President Jennifer Burns said in a release.

The district said Merchantz was selected from a pool of 18 applicants who applied for the open seat. Interviews were conducted during a Special Board Meeting on Saturday, Sept. 8. Merchantz will take the Oath of Office at the Monday, Sept. 24, Board of Education meeting.

Photo provided by District 181.