Coming Full Circle: From School Board to Village Trustee

Last week, just three days apart, I experienced both a vision of my future in public service and a heartwarming reminder of my past contributions. These two moments—separate in time but united in spirit—revealed a common thread in my approach to community leadership.

Our village’s municipal election was held on Tuesday. I was on the ballot as a candidate for the Village of Riverwoods Board of Trustees. The outcome was a given (three positions, three candidates, no write-ins allowed), but the final tally was still gratifying.

I will be sworn in at the beginning of May and take my place on the Board. Like all small municipalities, we have limitations because of our size, but despite this, I hope to be a leader in maintaining and improving the quality of life for our residents while fostering a spirit of collegiality on the Board.

As I prepared to take on this new role, I was fortunate to be reminded of what effective public service looks like. Barb and I attended a retirement dinner for Terry Moons, a 40-year member of the Stevenson High School Board of Education, whom I served with from 1995 to 2011.

The dinner was a wonderful evening at a local restaurant. I had the opportunity to reconnect with former colleagues and meet several newer Board members who have served since my tenure ended. I enjoyed catching up with longtime administrators and meeting newer ones.

Old memories were rekindled as I heard words and phrases I hadn’t thought about in years: ED-RED, SEDOL, Site and Facilities Committee, Chump Change. These had once been part of my daily lexicon. Each one sparked memories of impassioned, often intense meetings with renowned educators who took pride in leading a world-class high school and were always seeking ways to improve. On Friday night, the district superintendent had that same passion as he did his best to explain the concepts of proficiency-based instruction and grading to Barb and me. In all my years on the Board, I never heard anyone say, “We’ll do it that way because that’s how we have always done it.”

Pride, friendship, collegiality, and shared purpose—these defined my time on the school board, and they are what I hope to encounter as a village trustee. I carry that vision with me into this new role, anticipating that my new colleagues share in that commitment.

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