Board of Education Members
The Board of Education comprises seven equal members who serve without pay for staggered four year terms. Each member is elected at large and represents the entire District. The Board must balance the needs of multiple constituencies in making sound decisions for the good of the District. The Board is specifically responsible for setting District policy, approving the ongoing expenditures/budget/long range plan, as well as hiring and evaluating the superintendent. The Board delegates executive functions to the Superintendent through written policies and a written contract. [The superintendent oversees all other employees and ensures the delivery of appropriate curriculum to students while decision-making for daily instruction resides primarily at the building and classroom level.] As specified in the Code of Conduct, Board members have the authority to make decisions only as a body of the whole. The Board President serves in the role of spokesperson for the Board to the community and the media. |
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 Penny Lanphier President Term 2001-2009 (second term) |
Penny Lanphier, 250 Birch Street, has lived in Winnetka since 1984. A graduate of Princeton University, she majored in public policy. Her involvement in Winnetka includes the Winnetka Village Council, Winnetka Plan Commission, the Winnetka Caucus, and co-chair of the 1999 District 36 school referendum campaign. She is the mother of four children from ages 10 to 20, all of whom have attended Winnetka public schools. Penny had proven her commitment to the Village of Winnetka in her other public experience, but found herself drawn to District 36 volunteer work due to her commitment to Winnetka’s educational philosophy. Penny has previously served as Board Vice President, has been actively involved on the Communications Committee, and has acted as board representative to the Winnetka Public Schools Foundation and the PTOs. |
 Susan Harris Term 2001-2009 (second term) |
Susan Harris, 131 Apple Tree Road, has a busy career in marketing consulting. She is mother of four, all of whom have attended the Winnetka public schools. Ms. Harris moved to Winnetka in 1997. Her degrees include a BA from Vassar College and an MBA from the Wharton School of Management, University of Pennsylvania. Susan has served the community as Board member and Treasurer/Secretary of the Suzuki Association of Winnetka, she has held a number of PTA positions, and teaches Sunday school at Christ Episcopal Church. In addition, she was on the Board of the New Trier Swim Club for six years and served as president of that organization in 2002-03. Over two decades of corporate marketing and consulting combined with three years of previous experience on a private school board make her an important asset to the District 36 Board of Education. Susan has previously served a number of terms as Board Secretary, has put her communications skills to good use on the Communications Committee, and has served as a B0oard representative to the Foundation. |
 Becky Hurley Term 2001-2009 (second term) |
Becky Hurley, 1027 Spruce Street, has lived in Winnetka since 1996. A graduate of Colgate University and the Northwestern University School of Law, Becky spent 10 years as a commercial real estate attorney at the Chicago firm of Gardner, Carton & Douglas before establishing her own part-time practice in 1994. Becky first became involved in educational matters as a member of the board of Rogers Park Montessori School in Chicago. Becky’s involvement in Winnetka includes the Winnetka Plan Commission, the Winnetka Historical Society, the Winnetka Caucus, and co-chair of the 1999 District 36 school referendum. Becky and her husband Chris have three children, all of whom are graduates of the Winnetka Public Schools. Becky has previously served as President and Vice President of the Board, has been active on the Policy and Communications committees, and has been a board representative to the Plan Commission and to the Foundation. |
 Van Barletta |
Van Barletta, 1015 Spruce Street, has been a resident of Winnetka since 1987. Van holds a BA in economics from the University of Pittsburgh and an MBA in finance from the University of Chicago. A CPA with experience as a computer systems consultant (including fourteen years at Arthur Andersen), Van currently serves as EVP/Chief Information Officer for Baytree Bank in Lake Forest. Van was elected to the Winnetka/Northfield Public Library Board in 1997, was Board Treasurer for his entire 8-year service, and was on the Board when the voters approved an operating rate referendum for the library district in 2005. Van has also been actively involved with the Winnetka Public Schools, having served on a District 36 ad hoc technology committee, on the executive committee of the Foundation, and on the Crow Island PTA, where his two children were enrolled. |
 Nancy Fehrenbach |
Nancy Fehrenbach, 594 Willow Road, moved to Winnetka in 2004. Nancy holds a B.S. in economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and is a Chartered Financial Analyst. She was a bond portfolio manager/analyst with Mutual of New York. Before moving to Winnetka, Nancy served as chair of the United Methodist Nursery School in Winchester, MA. She currently serves on the Board of the Winnetka Alliance for Early Childhood and is active in the PTOs. Nancy’s four children attend Greeley and Skokie School. |
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Jeff Hoch, 1320 Westmoor Trail, was born and raised in Winnetka. He attended Hubbard Woods School and was a member of the first graduating class at Washburne. Jeff graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University with a degree in Politics and Government. Since 1978, he has worked at Viscosity Oil Company, serving as President the past 22 years. Jeff has proven his dedication to community service through a long history of volunteer commitments. For 10 years, he was a member of the Board of Trustees at Lawrence Academy in Groton, Mass. and has taught Sunday School for many years at Kenilworth Union Church. A perennial soccer coach, he has served on the AYSO Region 425 Board of Directors. With three children who have been students in the Winnetka schools and a beneficiary of the schools himself, Jeff is grateful for the opportunity to contribute his time in maintaining the high level of public education in the same schools that provided him with such a strong foundation. His decision-making and analytical capabilities, honed through many years of business experience, make him an invaluable asset to the School Board. Jeff has been actively involved in the Board’s ED RED/legislation committee and has served as a representative to the Foundation and to the Plan Commission. |
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Anne Kelly, 815 Rosewood, has a Bachelor’s degree in American Studies from Mount Holyoke and a M.M. from Northwestern in Marketing, Finance and Management Policy. Anne worked at the Quaker Oats Company for over 10 years and, prior to that, at The First National Bank of Chicago. A resident of Winnetka since 1988, Anne currently has one child at Skokie School and another at Washburne. Over the years she has served as a room parent and classroom volunteer. Through her active volunteer activities, Anne has shown a strong interest in education and child development. For 5 years, she was a Board member of the Winnetka Public School Nursery, serving as President from 1999-2000. She has also served as an Executive Board Member of the Winnetka Alliance for Early Childhood, and has held a variety of positions at the Junior League of Chicago. Anne feels honored to apply her volunteer interests and professional skills toward furthering the Winnetka schools. Her financial, strategic planning and communications experience make her an excellent contributor to the Board. Anne has previously served as President and Vice President of the Board, has been active on the Communications and Planning (Calendar) Committees, and has been a board representative to the Winnetka Alliance for Early Childhood and the Foundation. |
