New superintendent set to take over in District 114

Fox Lake Elementary District 114's new superintendent will be in place when employees return to work after the Fourth of July.

Heather Friziellie, 45, will take over Wednesday morning as she replaces longtime superintendent John Donnellan, who is set to retire Friday.

"I'm super excited. This opportunity is a dream come true," Friziellie said. "The staff and parents have been amazing, and I'm so excited to make a difference in District 114."

Friziellie most recently served as director of educational services at Kildeer Countryside Elementary District 96 in Buffalo Grove, where her scope of work was to enhance learning for special education students, she said. She also served as principal at Kildeer Countryside Elementary School and at Twin Grove Middle School, both within District 96.

She previously served as a school principal in Naperville Unit District 203 after starting her career as an elementary school classroom teacher in 1996.

Friziellie has a master's degree in curriculum and instruction from Indiana Wesleyan University and a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Indiana University. She also has an education specialist degree from Northern Illinois University.

"My plans are to get started right away. I'm excited to take everything that has been working well, and grow and expand it to lead to even higher levels of learning for our students," she said. "I'm also very excited to build partnerships with parents, the board of education and the community."

Friziellie is a recipient of the "Those Who Excel Award" from the state of Illinois for school administration. She has co-authored and published a book titled "Yes We Can!" focusing on the partnerships between special educators and general education, and is a national presenter for the educational publisher Solution Tree, she said.

She is also a mother of three children and married to a schoolteacher.

"I'm grateful to have the opportunity at District 114 to support the entire system and make things even better," she said.