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.
Andrew Bloom
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:
William (Will) Berger – William is a proven professional in corporate media, providing strategic communications advice to countless companies across a diverse spectrum of industries. His work with many types of organizations – from large to startup businesses- has helped to establish William as a highly valued resource to his clients.
During his career, William has managed communications for boutique investment banks, start-ups in technology, and established bulge bracket companies. This diverse experience has enabled him to anticipate the changing media landscape and leverage new innovative tools to deliver uncompromising results. William’s expertise encompasses areas such as media relations, key message development, press release writing, campaign formulation & execution, crisis communications, internal communications, creative copywriting & editing, conceptual development of creative advertisements, integrated marketing communications, and marketing/communications publication development.
A graduate of Columbia College Chicago, William has completed post graduate studies at Northwestern University where he earned a Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communication from the Medill School of Journalism and a Master of Science in Communication from the School of Communication.
Mary O’Day – Mary recently retired from Highland Park Community having taught here for 13 years, first as co-director of the Little Giants program at HPHS, then moving to the main center. She began in the field of Occupational Therapy after completing the program at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, then doing therapy with children aged birth through kindergarten. She then received her ECE degree and Child Development degree at National-Louis University, Evanston/Chicago. During her dedicated tenure in this field, Mary has employed the philosophy of Reggio Emilia, and the belief that all children are capable, seek meaning and construct knowledge, and they express themselves through their “100 Languages”. Mary enjoys spending time in nature, photography, music and the arts. She lives with her husband of 54 years in Deerfield and feels very fortunate to have her daughter and family close by in Highland Park. She has 3 grandchildren: the youngest (an alum of HP Community) now a freshman at HPHS, the middle a junior at HPHS and the oldest a freshman at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Mary has a commitment to Early Childhood education, especially here at HPC and hopes to see the program grow and flourish.
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.
Shane Selig (he/him) is a technologist, entrepreneur, and Highland Park resident. He has built and scaled technology teams across startups, Fortune 500 companies, and the public sector. Shane is the founder of CONNEQT, a local technology integration company serving homeowners and businesses throughout Chicagoland. Outside of his day job, he dedicates time to nonprofit leadership and civic engagement.
Shane and his wife, Andrea, are proud to be raising their children in Highland Park. He joined the HP Community Board because he believes every child deserves access to exceptional early childhood education. He values its pedagogical approach and the strong sense of community. Shan
Rachel Schwartz (she/her/hers) Rachel is a Senior Paralegal at Citadel LLC, where she supports complex trades and financial transactions. She earned dual bachelor’s degrees in Business Management and Legal Studies, along with a Certificate in Criminal Justice, from Indiana University – Bloomington, and later received a masters in Cybersecurity from Maryville University.
Before transitioning to the legal field, Rachel served as a police officer for nine years and later worked as a paralegal and trial technician at Sidley Austin LLP. She is the proud mother of two children who attend HP Community and resides in Highland Park. She is passionate about supporting inclusive opportunities that help children, families, and our community thrive and this is why she joined the Board. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, crafting and spending summers at the pool.
Tessa Maurice (she/her) is an experienced people and organizational leader with more than a decade of experience helping organizations build strong teams, develop leaders, and create inclusive, high-performing workplace cultures. Throughout her career, she has partnered with executive leaders to drive organizational growth, talent strategy, leadership development, and employee engagement across fast-paced and mission-driven environments.
With bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work, Tessa is passionate about supporting early childhood education and fostering a nurturing community where children and families can thrive.
Tessa lives in the Highland Park area with her husband, Josh, their son, Jackson, their daughter, Maya, and their dog, Wrigley. A native to the northern Chicago suburbs, she is honored to serve the Highland Park community and contribute her leadership experience in support of the school’s mission.
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:
2026-27 Calendar to be
Added Shortly
FY 2026 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)
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 24th – Final Meeting at HPC
Committee Meetings held at HPC with a short whole board check in prior to splitting up into working groups.