District 70 Parent Joins School Board

LIBERTYVILLE, IL — A longtime Libertyville resident and Rockland School parent has joined the Libertyville District 70 school board.

Nanette “Nan” C. Dahlke was sworn in as a new member during a board of education meeting Monday night.

“All of the board members are looking forward to working with Nan,” said school board president Wendy Schilling. “Her professional and personal attributes resonated with every board member. She has served on a number of boards and her experience is an added bonus.”

Dahlke, 64, will serve until the April 2023 election completing the term of Maura Kennedy, who resigned last month. A retired speech-language pathologist, Dahlke also was the elected vice president of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for 16 years, according to a news release from District 70.

For the last two years, Dahlke has served on the governing council of Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville.

“Last week I had the opportunity to sit down with Nan to get to know her,” said District 70 Superintendent Matt Barbini said. “I am looking forward to learning from and working with Nan. She will strengthen our school board and enrich the educational experience for our children.”

The newest board member has a master’s degree in communication disorders from Northern Illinois University and a bachelor’s degree in communication disorders from Augustana College. Dahlke began her speech-language pathology in Naperville Community School District 203, and also worked for Antioch School District 34, Lake Villa School District 41, and Prarie Crossing Charter School.

She owned her own speech pathologist company, Kind Word Speech Pathology, worked in private practice, and also worked with Lake Forest Hospital.

“I have a vested interest in this community,” Dahkle noted on her application for the school board position. “My children have benefitted and continue to benefit from a solid education in the Libertyville schools. I feel my past board experience and long-standing commitment to this community will enable me to contribute positively to the District 70 school board.”

Calling herself a “bridge-builder,” Dahlke noted that when she was on the synod board for the Lutheran church, she “demonstrated an openness to ideas, discussion and disagreement as a way to reach consensus.” Well aware of board procedures, she noted “I am skilled at keeping confidences and maintaining confidentiality. Being able to navigate disagreement and negotiate discussion is a skill that would help me positively influence interactions between board members and other stakeholders.”

Dahlke and her husband, Dan, are 26-year residents of Libertyville, have three adult children, and a daughter in first grade at Rockland School.