Newcomers join Mundelein High School board

Two newcomers have taken their seats on the Mundelein High School District 120 board.

Lisa Yaffe and Peter Rastrelli were sworn in during Thursday night's board meeting. So was returning trustee Jane Siegal.

Yaffe and Siegal were elected to 4-year terms in April's election, as was incumbent Joanne Anderson. Rastrelli ran and lost.

But Anderson resigned this month because she's moving out of the district. In response, the other board members selected Rastrelli to replace her.

"I'm excited to be on the board," Rastrelli said, adding he's particularly eager to work on community outreach efforts.

Although Anderson was elected to a four-year term, Rastrelli will be up for election in two years because he's an appointee.

Yaffe replaced veteran board member Al Hitzke, who didn't run for re-election.

Yaffe previously had been a Diamond Lake Elementary District 76 board member and served the last eight years as that board's president.

Siegal has been a Mundelein High trustee since 2015.

The Mundelein High board members also chose their officers Thursday.

Laura Vogt was named president of the panel, while Tom Ouimet was named vice president. Both have been trustees since 2017.

Yaffe was named secretary.

The school board normally meets Tuesdays, but the meeting was switched to Thursday because one of the trustees was unable to attend on the regular day. Attendance was important, school spokesman Ron Girard said, because the new officers were being chosen.