Volunteer tapped to fill District 88 seat

Willowbrook High School volunteer Blanca Jessen is taking on a new role as a school board member in DuPage High School District 88.

Sitting board members appointed Jessen, who lives in Villa Park, to fill a seat left open by Jan Donovan, who resigned from the board. Jessen was appointed Aug. 31, and her seat will be up for election in balloting on April 4, 2017.

Jessen's son is a sophomore at Willowbrook and her daughter will be a freshman at Willowbrook next year. Her husband, Dennis, graduated from Willowbrook in 1986. Jessen's ties to District 88 also include serving on the Willowbrook Parent Organization and the Willowbrook Athletic Booster Club.

"District 88 is a tremendous school district," Jessen said. "I'm honored and blessed to serve on the board of education, and I look forward to working with such experienced board members to make a positive difference in the lives of our students and their families."

Jessen was born in Mexico and lived there until she was about 7 years old and speaks Spanish and English. She received her bachelor of science degree in marketing and business from Illinois State University. She has worked as an account executive with Procter & Gamble for 19 years.

Jessen said her first step as a board member is to get to know the district even better so she can understand the challenges the district is facing and how Willowbrook and Addison Trail High School can continue to improve.

She says she especially wants to make sure the needs of students in the special education program continue to be met.

"My passion is to make sure students have options and that we're focusing on each and every child," Jessen said. "Education is so important for our students who are doing well academically and have a future plan of attending college, but it also is critical for all the other students who might not pursue a four-year college experience and might follow a different path."

Jessen joins District 88 school board members Donna Craft Cain (president), Jay Irvin (vice president), Sharon Kucik (secretary), Thomas Edmier, Timothy Gillen and Lisa Lullo. Jessen ran unsuccessfully for the board in April.