The resignation of a Township High School District 113 board member has created a vacancy that must be filled in December.
Julie Gordon, who was reelected to a second term in April, resigned Nov. 5 for personal reasons. She declined to elaborate.
The school board has 45 days to fill the post under state law and plans to appoint a new member Dec. 11, in advance of the Dec. 19 deadline, according to President Michelle Culver.
The appointee will serve until the April 2019 school election.
In her Nov. 5 resignation letter, Gordon said she regretted any inconvenience caused by her resignation.
“I hope that finding and onboarding a new member now, during a relatively quiet time in our board work and well before the next election cycle, creates the least disruption and best positions the board for continued success,” said Gordon, a Highland Park resident who has served on the board since 2013.
Gordon spent her professional career as an actuary and retirement consultant for Hewitt Associates, and held a variety of positions with the employee benefits firm prior to her retirement in 2010.
Board colleagues spoke Nov. 13 of her contributions to the board and her attention to detail.
“From the very first day she joined the board, I would call her role in helping the district toward the development of a strategic plan as pivotal,” said board member David Small. “We all owe a great deal to her for her persistent focus on trying to develop the best possible strategic plan.”
Small said Gordon helped the board address complicated issues involving the Teachers’ Retirement System, Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund and the structure of employee agreements.
“We didn’t always agree, but she was a great sounding board and she always had the interest of students at heart,” said board member Stacey Meyer. “She really was interested in the success of the district and ensuring that our staff and administrators were well taken care of.”
The school board has put out a call for applicants interested in filling the position on the school board. The school district includes Highland Park High School and Deerfield High School, and serves the communities of Highland Park, Deerfield, Highwood, Riverwoods and Bannockburn.
The deadline for completing the application, available on the district’s website at www.dist113.org, is 4 p.m. Nov. 29.
Culver said the applications will be shared with school board members but otherwise remain confidential.
The school board will review applications and interview potential appointees in closed meetings, she said.
