Meet Our Board
Officers:
Stephanie Sferra Bassill (she/her/hers) (Board President) Stephanie is a mother of two and works in public media. She is a current HP Community parent. Stephanie is an alum of Denison University and received a Masters in Education from Loyola University Chicago. She joined the board at HP Community because she believes that every child deserves access to affordable, quality early education.
Holly Jamieson (she/her/hers)(Board Vice President) Holly is a parent of two HP Community alums and one current attendee. I live in Highland Park and am a nurse who has worked half of my career with children newborn to adolescent. I am interested in contributing to the HP Community mission to help children thrive, and to help provide resources for families to better our community.
Andrew Bloom (Board Treasurer) Andrew is a Vice President at B. Riley Wealth Management. He has spent the past 21 years as a financial advisor helping individuals and families with their financial planning and investment needs. He previously was Vice President and Treasurer of his congregation in Deerfield. He was drawn to the mission of Highland Park Community and was happy to be nominated to the board by a past president of the organization.
Marissa Comin (she/her/hers) (Board Secretary) Marissa holds the position of Associate Vice President of Community Outreach and Engagement at the Jewish United Fund (JUF) in Chicago. In her role, Marissa oversees JUF’s volunteer services, its pro-bono legal clinic, and the EZRA Multi-Service Center—a social service program focused on preventing homelessness, alleviating hunger, combating isolation, and addressing other barriers to self-sufficiency for individuals residing in and around the Uptown neighborhood. She serves on the board because this school has made a profound difference in her own family’s life, and she is committed to ensuring that as many local families as possible can benefit from the same transformative experience that her family has had.
Members:
Heather McGinley (Immediate Past Vice President) is a chemist who has worked as a researcher, consultant, and project manager. She was recently inspired by the wonderful teachers at HP Community and in D112 to make a career change to education, and is now a high school science teacher. Heather’s two children are alumni of HP Community and she has been a member of the Board since 2019.
Esteban Carbajal (he/him/his) Esteban is a supervising attorney in the Immigration Practice at the North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic in Highland Park. He has worked as an immigration advocate in local nonprofits for over twelve years, focusing on humanitarian forms of relief. He currently serves as a member of the Moraine Township Latino Advisory Committee. Esteban holds a B.A. in International Studies from Loyola University Chicago and earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law. Esteban is also an alumnus of HP Community.
Sofia Alvarez is Executive Assistant to the Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources at Glenbrook High Schools District 225. Previously, Sofia held the role of Family Development Manager here at HP Community. Sofia is a resident of Highland Park, along with her husband, Pablo, and their two daughters, both alums of HP Community. She is a graduate of Millikin University (B.S.) and the Illinois Institute of Technology (M.S.).
Jennifer Luczkowiak (she/her/hers) Jennifer Luczkowiak is a mother of three and a Highland Park resident. All of her children attended HP Community. She is an attorney and the Director of Resource Development at Prairie State Legal Services. She grew up in Lake County and received her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University and her law degree from University of California, Hastings College of the Law (now UC Law San Francisco). She joined the HP Community Board of Directors because she believes having access to diverse affordable childcare is vital to a healthy community and an incredible asset to Highland Park.
David Meek (he/him/his) David is a father of three adult sons and works as a zoning and real estate development attorney at his law office in Highland Park. He enjoys oil painting, woodcarving, and printmaking. David’s first direct experience with the wonderful community at HP Community was in conjunction with its move from downtown Highland Park and construction of the new building. David was the attorney and advocate for the land lease, easements, and zoning approvals. He joined the board to help HP Community thrive for many more generations.
Greg Ruggie (he/him/his) Greg is a father of two children currently attending HP Community. He is a resident of Highland Park and a Corporate Attorney at Impact Networking, LLC. Greg obtained his B.A. with a double major in Sociology and English Literature from the University of Minnesota and later earned his Juris Doctor from University of Illinois Chicago School of Law. Giving back to the community by opening up access to early childhood education is why Greg joined the Board. He, his wife and their children enjoy traveling, exploring nature, constantly visiting Highland Park’s beach and pool, and reading.
Jason Smith (he/him/his) A hospitality industry veteran, Jason built his career in New York City with luxury brands like the Ritz Carlton and New York Palace, while also sharing his expertise as an adjunct professor at NYU. Currently, he brings his passion for hospitality to Collective Retreats as their Director of Talent Experience, fostering a unique hospitality culture. Originally from Buffalo Grove, Jason was thrilled to relocate to Highland Park with his wife Elissa, daughters Eden and Ivy (both current HPC students), and their dog Hayden. Jason is eager to embrace all that Highland Park Community has to offer and share his experience with the board.
Make a Difference
Become a Board Member and support Highland Park Community Early Learning Center (HP Community) which offers high-quality, affordable care and early education to all children in the community. All children deserve to thrive.
Past Officers:
Sue Blumberg, (Immediate Past Board President) is the Senior Vice President/Managing Director at NorthMarq Capital. Sue has been involved in the commercial real estate industry for 40 years. She is a founding member of the Real Estate Finance Forum since 1987 and a current member of CREW Chicago. Sue is a graduate of University of Iowa (BBA Financial Economics) and DePaul University (MBA Finance). In addition to providing leadership as the Board President of HP Community for many years, Sue also volunteers with several other Chicago charities.
Katie Wiswald (Immediate Past Board Treasurer) is a commercial and consumer lender at Highland Park Bank & Trust, a Wintrust Community Bank. She has spent the last 13 years in Highland Park focusing on community lending and serving the needs of local businesses and residents. She has previously served on the board of the Highland Park Chamber of Commerce as Assistant Vice President and is currently the chairman of the task force for the Ravinia Business District Alliance as well as an advisory member for the Ravinia District SSA.
Zach Waickman (he/him/his) (Immediate Past Board President) Zach is the Senior Program Manager at Loyola University Chicago’s School of Environmental Sustainability overseeing their circular economy focused Biodiesel Lab. He helped launch this student-run sustainable business within the University when he was earning his bachelor’s degree, and later completed his MBA at Loyola as well. His work in sustainability has focused on waste utilization, innovative product development, and green business operation. He is particularly interested in businesses that utilize local, traditional waste products to create community resources and jobs. Zach and his wife, Amy, have two young children (who both attended Community) and are thrilled to be part of Highland Park Community.
Eva Lok (she/her/hers) (Immediate Past Secretary) is the mother of 2 boys who attended Highland Park Community. Eva joined the board because Community is an important partner for Highland Park and strongly believes in the values and teachings the staff provides to their kids. She is a Sourcing Manager for a consumer products company. Eva and her family moved from Chicago to Highland Park in 2014.
Upcoming Meetings:
FY 2025 Board Meeting Schedule
Meetings start at 6:30 PM
(Most are last Tuesdays of each month)
Meetings start at 6:30 PM – (Most are last Tuesdays of each month)
July 23th – Committee Meetings at HPC
August 27th – Board Meeting on Zoom
September 24th – Committee Meetings at HPC
October 22th – Board Meeting on Zoom
November 19 – Committee Meetings at HPC
December – No Meeting – optional date if needed: Dec 17
January 28th – Board Meeting on Zoom
February 25th – Committee Meetings at HPC
March 25th – Board Meeting on Zoom
April DATE TBD – Retreat-Review Strategic Goals/Plans?
May 27th – Board Meeting on Zoom
June 24h – Final Meeting at HPC
Committee Meetings held at HPC with a short whole board check in prior to splitting up into working groups.
About
Highland Park Community Nursery School and Day Care Center, affectionately known as HP Community was founded in 1951 by Martha Struve Freeman to provide high-quality, licensed, early childhood education and care to children 2 to 5. We are committed to providing a safe, educational and nurturing environment where children feel safe, cared for and respected.
Support HP Community
Contact Info
Phone: 847-432-3301
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