Lincolnshire-Prairie View District 103 board candidates explain why they're running
Candidates for the Lincolnshire-Prairie View School District 103 board expressed their motivations for running in a joint interview this week.
Seven people are running for four seats with 4-year terms in the April 6 election: incumbents Kate Harper and Anne van Gerven and challengers Asha Goldstein, Janene Harris, Catherine O'Keefe, Maria I. Peterson and Michael Weaver.
All but Harris participated in a virtual endorsement interview with the Daily Herald on Monday. Harris declined to attend but completed the same questionnaire as the other candidates.
Van Gerven, a Lincolnshire resident who serves as the board's president and first was elected in 2013, said she's running for reelection to ensure continuity and experience on the panel during the pandemic.
That's particularly important, she said, because two trustees - Malathy Dwaraknath and Liang Yang - aren't seeking reelection.
"It just seemed like the right decision to stay on, to continue to provide that experience and background," she said.
Harper, a certified public accountant from Lincolnshire who first was elected to the board in 2013, also said she's running again to maintain continuity and because she still has more to offer the district.
Goldstein, a wealth adviser from Riverwoods, said serving on the board has always been a goal. She's running now because her husband, Eric Goldstein, is stepping down as a Riverwoods village trustee and their kids are independent enough for her to take on the responsibility.
Goldstein believes her background in finance could give the board a different perspective.
O'Keefe, a veterinarian from Lincolnshire, has two children in District 103 schools and said they've had a "wonderful experience." She said she wants to give back and support the teachers and administrative staff.
Peterson, a Lincolnshire resident who's vice president of the District 103 Parent Teacher Organization, said she learned a lot about what the school board does because of the COVID-19 crisis. She said she wants to be part of the decisions made on the board level and to expand her knowledge of what happens in the district.
Weaver, a project manager and human resources consultant from Lincolnshire with a history of community service, said he's running for the District 103 board because he wants to volunteer at a local level.
He believes his professional skills - including planning, problem solving and collaborating - will be useful on the board.
Harris, a program manager at Abbott Laboratories who lives in Vernon Hills, said she wants to be involved in her community in a different way than she has in the past.
"I am most interested in understanding how we put in place the best support for our students for their long-term growth and how we stay on top of new and innovative ways to educate our student body," Harris said in her questionnaire.