Barrington District 220 School Board

 

ACTION PAC is proud to support Katey Baldassano, Leonard Munson and Matt Sherriff for the April 2023 Barrington School District 220 Board of Education. Each candidate brings a unique perspective and skill set to the Board as they focus on the “3 R’s” for our community.

  • Restore an emphasis on excellence in education
  • Respect the rights and voice of parents in the community
  • Responsibly steward finances

These three candidates bring professional experience from the education and business worlds. All three currently have children attending District 220 schools and have a passion for education and their community.

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Katey Baldassano

Katey Baldassano is an experienced school leader with a demonstrated history of working in the education field.  She and her family have been residents of Barrington for the last 15 years where they own a small business and have children at three school levels (elementary, middle and high school).

Throughout her professional career, Katey has worked to support parents in their role as their child’s first, best and most important teacher.  She is eager to put her leadership, knowledge and passion for families to work in the District 220 community.  She believes that strong partnerships between families, schools and the community will ensure District 220 truly empowers personal excellence in every learner.

After earning her bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education at the University of Illinois, Katey’s career path has taken her from her start as a classroom teacher in nearby Carpentersville, to supporting children in their homes and private education, back to teaching and finally to administration. Following completion of a master’s degree in Educational Leadership, she began working as the administrator of an early childhood program in West Chicago Illinois in 2014.

Her experience in West Chicago led to expanding their Birth to 3 Program and receiving designations for quality, establishing a Parent Advisory for early childhood programs, and leading the development of an innovative early literacy program, she has also presented her experience at the State and National level.   Her professional areas of interest include early literacy, coaching and staff retention, professional learning teams and leading for school improvement.

She has a proven record of utilizing community data as well as parent and staff feedback to adapt and support families to meet their goals.  Her work is student-centered, family focused and responsive.   Katey is passionate about meeting families where they are and the idea that every family and every child can meet goals that are important to them.

In addition to her professional work, she has been an active volunteer at Hough Street School in the classroom and PTO projects, Girl Scouts and her church.   She is an avid reader of non-fiction and life-long learner.   Katey is an ardent advocate for excellence in education,  parental voice, transparency and accountability.  She looks forward to working collaboratively with staff and administration, Board of Education members and the entire community to bring a focus on excellence and unity to District 220.

“I first met Katey at our church, and was impressed by her positivity. Katey loves Barrington and loves promoting ways to help our community. Katey is a doer and will focus on bringing solutions to D220 problems; she will listen to constituents to do what they want to restore excellence in education for all students. Her experience in roles as wife, mom, school administrator, and community advocate will bring a lot of important perspectives to the District 220 School Board.  She wants to listen to the constituents and respect the rights of parents.”

“Conocí a Katey por primera vez en nuestra iglesia y me impresionó su positivismo. Katey ama a Barrington y le encanta promover formas de ayudar a nuestra comunidad. Katey es emprendedora y se concentrará en brindar soluciones a los problemas del D220; ella escuchará a los constituyentes para hacer lo que quieran para restaurar la excelencia en la educación para todos los estudiantes. Su experiencia en funciones como esposa, madre, administradora escolar y defensora de la comunidad traerá muchas perspectivas importantes a la Junta Escolar del Distrito 220. Ella quiere escuchar a los electores y respetar los derechos de los padres.”

Gretchen and Norberto Q.

 
“I have known Katey for 13 years.  She is an excellent advocate for all Barrington students.  She will listen to stakeholders, find common ground and get D220 students what they need to be successful.  She has my vote in April.”
 
Meg K.  
 

“Katey is a great leader and supervisor who has helped us become better in how we support families through our work. She exemplifies honesty, compassion, and hard work, and she cares for all staff and families in the program. Other words used to describe Katey are knowledgeable, resourceful, respectful, and a community leader.”

SD33 Board Salute –  Chicago Elementary Schools 

Leonard Munson

Leonard Munson moved to the Barrington community in 2005 after retiring from the United States Air Force. He served as a Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape instructor (SERE) for 20 years and retired as a Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO). After retiring he ran several small businesses. Including “LGM Consulting Inc” providing training and operational support to Government agencies in support of the “Global War on Terror” and “USA Mobile Drug and Alcohol Testing” provides policy development, employee education, and drug and alcohol testing program services to Chicagoland businesses. Leonard Currently works for “Nichols a Derse Company” as Director managing daily operations of the business unit.

He has always been an active member of the Barrington community. His main passion has been supporting youth through athletics from the local house programs to state travel programs for over 15 years in football, softball, baseball, and basketball. Served for several years as a Board Member of “Leaders Engage Against Drugs” (LEADs) and specifically directed a parent group for the local school program “Broncos Committed”.

He has worked directly with local businesses, officials, and school administrators in educating and keeping our local youth supported with programs, activities, and mentors at all grade levels keeping them away from drugs and alcohol. Serves as the secretary for the Jewel Park Homeowners Association keeping his smaller community beautiful, together, and informed.

Leonard earned his bachelor’s degree in Management Operations from DePaul University. He and his wife Robin have been married for 18 years raising a stepdaughter aged 24 a Barrington High School graduate and a son 15 years old currently a Barrington High School Sophomore. His selfless dedication to servicing the community is shown through his commitment to communicating honesty, integrity, and loyalty.

“I have coached baseball in the Barrington community with Leonard in recent years and respect his hard work and dedication to youth sports, as well as teaching young people. The goal was not to just coach athletic skills, but also teach them to grow and mature into responsible young adults. Leonard was always prepared and organized, which helped to keep everyone focused and on task. I believe his military background and business experience give him a strong foundation of knowledge to contribute to an organization’s success.

The Barrington 220 School Board would benefit from Leonard’s many attributes, he will contribute to an educational system that will drive Barrington’s youth to future success.

Jerry Gaul – Barrington Resident

 

“Change requires action, action on the part of all of us.  I encourage you to get out and vote.  Our children’s future is at stake and status quo just won’t do,  I am writing to endorse Leonard Munson for Barrington 220 School Board. Leonard has revealed to me he is concerned about our childrens future and dedicated to making some serious change. Having just moved from this district, I urge you to take action.  We recently moved into a district that felt they had the children’s best interest in mind.  Let me assure you they have not.  The children have fallen behind and it is due to people feeling they don’t have the voice or the forum to articulate their concerns.   What has gone wrong? People who are not representing the majority are the ones going to the polls and the same people are running, that don’t have a stake.  We need accurate representation to achieve the change needed.  Don’t let this happen to your district.  As a parent of Barrington 220, I was proud of the education my children received.  But things changed and a new breath of fresh air is needed.  Leonard Munson can make this change. I have witnessed his dedication and determination to bring people together.  I have seen him in situations where he was responsive and respectful when dealing with opposing views. Leonard Munson knows our children, he has worked with our children and I think he has the sincerest intentions on making the district stay elite.  I urge you all to show up and vote for Leonard Munson.  He will be our agent of change.”

Tracy Merfeld

“I had the pleasure of meeting Leonard Munson approximately 10 years ago when my family returned to Barrington. He was my son’s flag football coach and set a fine example for my son. He treated all of the team with fairness and discipline and made a real impact. He exhibited great patience with the kids and made a real impact and exhibited exceptional communication skills. I think he is a great candidate for the Barrington District 220 School Board.”

 Mark Beaubien



 

Matt Sheriff

Matt Sheriff is a long-term Illinoian and new resident of Barrington. He and his wife chose Barrington after moving back from a short time in Texas primarily because of the amazing community as well as the reputation of excellence in the schools of D220. His daughter is a current student at North Barrington Elementary, Matt and his family have made a commitment to stay in the D220 system through her senior year of high school.

Matt has a passion for community involvement. Most recently he became a volunteer with the Lake County Sheriff’s auxiliary deputy unit serving the community. He considers providing support to the Sheriff’s department and the encompassing communities as a true privilege.

Professionally, Matt serves as the Chief Sales Officer for an international consumer goods brand. He has over 25 years of experience within the industry, helping build, buy and sell some of the most successful brands in the market today. Matt has served in many executive and c-level roles professionally. He believes his diverse business experience leading companies and negotiating contracts with multiple fortune 100 companies, will be an asset in helping D220 return to be a leader, not only in the state of Illinois but at a national level. He is focused on prioritizing excellence in education as well as athletics and extracurricular successes. Additionally, he will be focused on parental rights and being responsibly fiscal to the taxpayers of D220. This can be achieved when the school board and community work together to ensure our children are given the best opportunity to succeed at all levels.

One of the biggest goals he has is returning the school board to represent the concerns and values of our community all while ensuring that we are preparing our children for success while in the D220 community and beyond.

“I have known Matt and his family since he moved to Barrington four years ago. After meeting him, I quickly learned how passionate he is about serving his community, as he spends his free time volunteering for the Lake County Sheriff’s department. I am thrilled he is ready to take on even more for our community. Matt will be a perfect representative for the families in District 220. Having a daughter the same age as Matt’s daughter, we spend a lot of time together, and it’s obvious we share the same values for our kids. He shows by example by being honest, hardworking, open-minded, attentive and reliable. Matt is passionate about doing what’s best for our kids and will make decisions to ensure all students are prepared for success.”

Kalin Lomas

“I have known Matt Sheriff and his family for 3 yrs. We are neighbors, and our daughters attend North Barrington Elementary together. Matt is an honest, hardworking, and dedicated community member. Matt will lead by example, always consider the needs of our children and families first, and restore common sense and integrity to the school board. I firmly stand behind Matt Sheriff as a strong and excellent candidate for D220.”

Andrew Reitinger

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