Introducing new and returning members of the Daily Herald Editorial Board's advisory panel

Cristobal Cavazos

Hometown: Wheaton

Professional background: Co-founder of Immigrant Solidarity DuPage

Community involvement: Activist working to advance the empowerment of the Latino community in Chicago's western suburbs since his teens. With the motto of Community + Struggle + Culture, Immigrant Solidarity DuPage struggles for the dignity and decency of the Latino community and seeks to cultivate community vision, leadership and creativity, as "a home for the soul-life of the Latino community" in an often spread-out and decentralized suburban climate.

LeJewel Crigler

Hometown: Elgin

Professional background: Pandemic Health Navigator for the Elgin YWCA, also home schooling a high school junior and a second-grader.

Community involvement: Former candidate for Elgin U-46 School District Board of Education; Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois volunteer; youth programs consultant with One Neighborhood Empowered (O. N. E) Community Center and Gym; former teacher assistant at Carpentersville Middle School; summer programs teacher for The Elgin Recreation Center.Community involvement: Former candidate for Elgin Area U-46 School District Board of Education; Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois volunteer; youth programs consultant with One Neighborhood Empowered (O.N.E.) Community Center and Gym; former teacher assistant at Carpentersville Middle School; summer programs teacher for The Elgin Recreation Center.

Lucy Chang Evans

Hometown: Naperville

Professional background: Civil engineer; MBA candidate at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign hoping to pivot into career of data storytelling; former Secret Service agent

Community involvement: As a former candidate for Naperville City Council, Evans expressed her passion for social, environmental, economic sustainability.

Amy Florian

Hometown: Hoffman Estates

Professional background: CEO of Corgenius; a fellow in Thanatology (study of death, loss, grief, aging and transition); has taught graduate classes at Loyola University Chicago for 10 years; former executive director of a small nonprofit; author of more than 200 articles and several books.

Community involvement: Has volunteered at area parishes; facilitates support groups for widowed people; returning Sounding Board member

Therese Hart

Hometown: Crystal Lake

Professional background: Humanities professor and department chair at Harper College in Palatine; taught art history at McHenry County College in Crystal Lake and art history and appreciation at Elgin Community College

Community involvement: Choir member at Tree of Life Unitarian Universalist Congregation in McHenry; performs at Festival of the Voice at the Raue Center in Crystal Lake to raise money for PADS; cooks meals for homeless neighbors at Compassion for Campers events ; returning Sounding Board member

Vaseem Iftekhar

Hometown: Hawthorn Woods

Professional background: Retired director of project management at Abbott labs and several other companies; pharmaceutical executive with over 35 years experience in sales, marketing and research and development

Community involvement: Former trustee for College of Lake County; past president of Islamic foundation North; founder and chairman of Northern Illinois American Muslim Alliance; returning Sounding Board member

Allison "AJ" Johnson

Hometown: Lake Villa

Professional background: Retired disabled Army veteran of 26 years. Currently teaches High School Army JROTC.

Community involvement: Former candidate for Lake Villa mayor; advocate for youths, infrastructure investment. political term limits and other issues; Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity; American Legion; Disabled American Veterans; Political Action Chair for Lake County NAACP; Lake Villa Township Lions Club; court appointed special advocate volunteer; Cedar Crossing II HOA board member; precinct committeeman; Sunday school teacher

Emma Kaden

Hometown: Arlington Heights

Professional background: Assistant editor at The Heartland Institute; dancer, multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter

Community involvement: Bachelor of Arts in multimedia journalism from Columbia College Chicago; former candidate for Arlington Heights Public Library Board of Trustees

Sonia Kim

Hometown: Glenview

Professional background: Managing director of marketing and commercialization education at Northwestern University's Innovation and New Ventures Office; former secondary school science teacher; former research scientist

Community Involvement: Former school board member for Glenbrook High Schools District 225

Carole Medal

Hometown: Arlington Heights

Professional background: Executive director of the Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin; has worked in senior management at public libraries for 34 years

Community involvement: Arlington Heights Library Board trustee; former president of the Illinois Library Association and Rotary Club of Rolling Meadows; music teacher; member of church building committee; 2013 Illinois Librarian of the Year; returning Sounding Board member

Patrick Parks

Hometown: Elgin

Professional background: Pastor, Second Baptist Church of Elgin

Community involvement: U.S. Army veteran; cum laude Judson University graduate with BA in Christian Ministries; former associate minister at Original Philadelphia Missionary Baptist Church of Chicago; former interim pastor at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church of Chicago.

Christine Radogno

Hometown: Lemont

Professional background: Retired Illinois Senate Republican leader; served in the senate for 20 years, last nine as first female caucus leader in state history; former LaGrange village trustee. Before politics, used her master's in social work degree in the mental health field.

Community involvement: A member of J.B Pritzker's transition team; K-12 substitute teacher; board member for Adance Illinois, an education policy organization; returning Sounding Board member

Tom Roeser

Hometown: Barrington Hills

Professional background: President of OTTO Engineering in Carpentersville; worked 30 years at OTTO, 12 years at Baxter Travenol

Community involvement: Board member, Boys and Girls Club of Dundee Township; served on Elgin Symphony Orchestra board; former Barrington Unit District 220 school board member; returning Sounding Board member

Sharmin Shahjahan

Hometown: Hanover Park

Professional background: Former pricing analyst at General Electric - Healthcare; works with not-for-profit organizations to translate documents for refugees, address gender inequality and respond to climate change.

Community involvement: Former Hanover Park village board member; , with service on Cultural Inclusion and Diversity Committee, Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Diversity Task Force, Age-Friendly Collaborative, Environment Committee; member of Elgin Area U-46 Citizens Advisory Committee and School Improvement Community partner; National League of Cities' Human Development Committee Vice Chair; Race, Equity and Leadership Council; Women in Municipal Government board member; United Nations Women Chicago; Women's Empowerment Campaign

Angela Trillhaase

Hometown: Mundelein

Professional background: Executive with IBM and former owner of three businesses

Community involvement: Benefactor of Mundelein High School Incubator since its inception); Vice President, Loch Lomond Property Owners Association; Veteran Mentor, American Corporate Partnership; Co- Founder, 100+ People Who Care Northern Illinois; Big Sister; co-founder, A-MAY-ZING Mundelein; former Mundelein village trustee