Former Barrington principal named new superintendent in District 102

A former Barrington school principal and current administrator in the Lake Forest school system has been named the next superintendent of Buffalo Grove-based Aptakisic-Tripp School District 102, the district's board of education announced Tuesday.

Lori Wilcox will assume the district's top administrative post July 1, 2016, replacing retiring Superintendent Theresa Dunkin.

Wilcox stood out among a strong pool of candidates after a lengthy, national search, according to a statement from the school board.

She earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and her Doctorate in Education from National Louis University, the district said.

Wilcox taught elementary education for nine years in Highland Park, then served as director of gifted and curriculum services and elementary school principal Oak Grove District 68. She then worked as a principal in Barrington Area Unit School District 220, before moving on to Lake Forest school districts 67 and 115, where she now serves as assistant superintendent for growth, talent & human relations.

In a statement announcing Wilcox's hiring, the District 102 board states it is confident that all stakeholders will be struck by Wilcox's warmth, genuineness, boundless energy and passion for maximizing the potential of each student.

"She has a collaborative spirit and approach that truly brings people together," the statement reads. "It was heartening to hear how strongly all of her current and former colleagues feel about the talents and personal qualities that she offers our district. As more than one of her colleagues stated, her hire 'is a major win for District 102.'"