Lake County Gazette

Lake Bluff Elementary School District 65 issued the following announcement on Apr 28.

Following an uncontested election in early April, the Lake Bluff Elementary School District 65 Board of Education welcomed four new Board members and said farewell to four others during its meeting on Tuesday night.

New Board of Education Members

Carrie Steinbach

Carrie and her family have lived in Lake Bluff since July 2014. Her five sons currently attend Lake Bluff District 65 schools. Carrie's husband Eric is a retired professional football player and a current realtor for Berkshire Hathaway. He and Carrie are both avid supporters of the Boys and Girls Club of Lake County.  Carrie has Bachelor of Science degrees in Information Technology and Operations and Supply Chain Management from Marquette University.   Carrie looks forward to supporting District 65 of Lake Bluff for many years to come.

 

Carrie has been involved in a variety of local community service activities since moving to the area. She served as the District President for the Lake Bluff Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) from 2019-2021, the PTO's LBES Chair in 2018 and has been an active volunteer with the PTO since her sons started in the Lake Bluff schools. She is on the parent board for North Suburban Special Education District (NSSED) and does additional volunteer work with the Lake Bluff 4th of July Parade Committee, Boys and Girls Club of Lake County and helped create our local chapter of 100 Women Who Care.

 

Tim Penich

Tim and his wife, Kim, have lived in Lake Bluff since 2015. They have two sons, the oldest of whom is a student at Lake Bluff Elementary School. Professionally, Tim is a licensed architect who specializes in historic preservation. In this role, he has had the opportunity to assist with the preservation of significant buildings, structures, and sites across the country.

 

Tim holds a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies and a Master of Architecture, both from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.  

 

Since moving to Lake Bluff, Tim has volunteered with VOTE Lake Bluff during multiple election cycles, serving as a member of the group's administrative committee as well as secretary.

 

Lauren Hirsh

Lauren grew up in the area and moved to Lake Bluff in 2010 with her husband, Jason. They have 2 children at Lake Bluff Elementary School. Lauren received a Bachelor’s degree in Education and graduated with honors from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.  Lauren served as an Intervention Specialist in the Olentangy School District in Lewis Center, Ohio working with students with varying disabilities. She went on to obtain her Masters in Educational Leadership from the University of Dayton. Lauren served as the Assistant Principal and opened a brand new elementary school in the Olentangy School District.  Lauren still holds a teaching license in the area of special education and a principal’s license.  

 

Lauren has volunteered in the Lake Bluff schools since her children started at LBES. She is very active with the PTO and participates in both the LBES PTO and District level PTO. In addition to the PTO, Lauren volunteers at Boys and Girls Club of Lake County, Lake Forest Open Lands, and The Winter Club of Lake Forest

 

Amy Connell-Donohue

A native of Lake Forest, Amy returned to the area in 2014 with her husband and 4 children who currently attend Lake Bluff Elementary, Lake Bluff Middle School and Lake Forest High School.

Amy spent 23 years in the Telecommunications Industry, gaining experience with MCI Worldcom, then repositioning herself during the tech boom with a start-up company.  Acquiring expertise in performance and change management, she played a vital role in the growth and successful exit strategy of the company.

 

After “retiring” as VP of Client Relations, she pursued her love of photography, establishing Amy Connell Photography in 2013.

 

Amy holds a BA in English from the University of Missouri and a minor in Photography.

Community Involvement:        

2014-2018        Board Member, LDA

2015-Present        Board Member,  District 65 PTO

2016-Present        Board Member, Lake Bluff 4th of July Parade

2019            TASH Conference/Parent Speaker for LFHS

2019-Present        NSSED APS Executive Board Member

2020-Present        Facilities and Programs Committee, Lake Bluff Park District

Prior to moving to Lake Bluff, Amy’s children spent five years in the Chicago Public School system where she was involved in initiatives for gifted programs.  Collaborating with CPS and local businesses, she pushed for a larger focus on curriculum for advanced learners.

Amy also has been a champion for integrated classrooms since her daughter was diagnosed with Williams Syndrome in 2004.  Invited by Lake Forest High School to attend and speak at the TASH Conference in Phoenix, Amy is passionate about inclusion for all.

 

Outgoing Board Members

The Board also honored four outgoing Board members for their outstanding service to the students of the school district and to the community.  Leigh Ann Charlot has served on the Board of Education since 2011 and did not seek re-election.  Julie Gottshall, John Marozsan and Richard Hegg all served on the Board of Education since 2013 and did not seek re-election.  

 

A Reorganized Board

Following the seating of the new board members, the Board elected Mark Barry as its President, Andy Duran as its Vice President, and Anne Hill as its Secretary.

You can find more information about the Board of Education and their work on our website by clicking here.

Original source can be found here.