Meet Our Board
Officers:
Zach Waickman (he/him/his) (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.
Heather McGinley (Vice President) is a chemist and project manager with diverse expertise and strengths working with and leading global, interdisciplinary, and cross-functional project teams. She is currently a Senior Consultant at Treximo. Heather’s two children are alums of HP Community.
Eva Lok (she/her/hers) (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.
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.
Stephanie Sferra Bassill (she/her/hers) 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.
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.
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.
Members:
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.
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.
Upcoming Meetings:
FY 2024 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 25th
Committee Meetings at HPC
Welcome New Board Members
Handbook revisions due
August 22st
Board Meeting on Zoom
Development Strategic Plan Presented/Discussed
September 26th
Committee Meetings at HPC
2023 -Susan L. Board Development Training – 1.5 hour
October 24th
Board Meeting on Zoom
Annual Appeal Letter and Process
Audit approval
Discussion (if needed) upcoming Tuition and Calendar Changes
November 28th
Committee Meetings at HPC
Approve FY25 Tuition and Calendar
December
No Meeting – optional date if needed: Dec 19, 2023
January 23th
Board Meeting on Zoom
February 27th
Committee Meetings at HPC
March 19th
Board Meeting on Zoom
Present Draft FY25 Budget
April DATE TBD
Retreat?
May 28th
Board Meeting on Zoom
Approve FY25 Budget
June 25th
Final Meeting at HPC – Open Board Meeting
Celebrations of people rolling off
Annual re-cap of Program Year