info@hpcommunity.org

Meet Our Board

Officers:

Zach Waickman (Board President) is the Biodiesel Lab Manager at Loyola University Chicago’s Institute of Environmental Sustainability. He helped launch this student-run sustainable business within the University when he was while earning his bachelors degree, and later completed his MBA at Loyola as well. His work in sustainability over the past decade 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 (either attending or soon to be attending Community) and are thrilled to be part of Highland Park Community. 

Heather McGinley 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 (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.

Katie Wiswald (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.

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.).

Jaime Barraza is the Director of Biliteracy for Distinctive Schools. Prior to joining the DS team he led language and biliteracy programming in a northern suburb of Chicago. Jaime began his career in education working in nonprofit organizations focused on supporting under served students with enriching after school and summer opportunities. Jaime started his teaching career serving as an elementary ESL teacher then as a middle school dual language teacher specializing in social studies and Spanish.

Nicole Henricks is an early childhood special education teacher with Northern Suburban Special Education District (NSSED). Prior to joining NSSED, Nicole taught at Community for several years.  She continues to serve and remain connected with Community by being a part of the Board. Nicole is also a member of the Curriculum team and serves as a Coach to Leaders of K-2 age children in the children’s ministry at Willow Creek North Shore.

Jennifer Luczkowiak, is a mother of three (all of whom have or will attend HP Community) and a Highland Park resident. She is an Attorney and the Director of 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. After graduating from law school, she spent three years at the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley serving homeless and runaway youth as an Equal Justice Works Fellow and Staff Attorney. 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 Highland Park.

Anita Pildes, is the Community Education and Outreach Coordinator for SHALVA, a non-profit for Jewish women experiencing or healing from domestic abuse. She also has been a long-time substitute teacher for North Shore School District 112. She was an attorney, working as a litigator and as general counsel for a corporation for many years. She earned her J.D. from IIT/Chicago-Kent College of Law. She received her Bachelor of Social work degree from the University of Illinois. Anita is an experienced youth and adult Jewish studies educator.

Sue Blumberg, 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.

Upcoming Meetings:

FY 2021 Board Meeting Schedule

July 21st – Committee Meeting

August 18th – Board Meeting

September 15th – Committee Meeting

October 20th – Board Meeting

November 17th – Committee Meeting

December 15th – Board Meeting

January 19th – Committee Meeting

February 16th – Board Meeting

March 16th – Committee Meeting

April 20th – Board Meeting

May – NO BOARD MEETING

June 15th – Annual Meeting