On Sunday, December 2, the District 112 Caucus endorsed candidates Melissa Itkin and Adam Kornblatt (both of Highland Park, IL), for the North Shore School District 112 School Board. The Caucus, which is comprised of forty-six delegates, heard presentations from four individuals interested in running for three open seats in the April 2, 2019 election.
Endorsement of a candidate requires a vote of at least two thirds of Caucus delegates and signifies the consensus of stakeholders gathered from throughout the district that the endorsed candidates are highly qualified to serve the interests of the community on the District 112 School Board over the next four years. Not receiving an endorsement should not be viewed as a criticism or comment on the qualifications of a candidate – the Caucus applauds the dedication and civic-mindedness of all four candidates who participated in this process.
Candidate Melissa Itkin moved with her family from Chicago to Highland Park in 2013. In 2014, Ms. Itkin contributed skills gained from her 20+ year career in graphic design and marketing to rebrand the District 112 Education Foundation’s FUNd Run event. Following the 2016 school referendum vote, Ms. Itkin applied to District 112’s Reconfiguration 2.0 Community Team, where she served as a co-chair for the education subcommittee and was later elected as tri-chair, and presented the final report and recommendations from a year-long community-driven effort to the District 112 School Board.
Additionally, Ms. Itkin worked for the Park District of Highland Park as a teacher's aide for Mom's Morning Away and kindergarten enrichment classes and as a contributing photographer to PDHP marketing materials. She has been actively involved with the PTO at Braeside Elementary for the past five years. Ms. Itkin currently works as an independent consultant through her design and photography businesses, Itkin Creative and Sweet M Photography. Melissa Sandfort Itkin | LinkedIn
Incumbent Adam Kornblatt has been a member of the NSSD 112 Board of Education since January 2016. Adam served as a member of the Reconfiguration 2.0 launch team and steering committee before his appointment to the board. Mr. Kornblatt is an attorney with a primary focus in corporate and real estate transactions, financing, and corporate governance. His past experiences include consulting companies in areas of capital expenditures, tax planning, corporate and municipal finance, and mergers and acquisition planning.
In addition to his participation with the district, Mr. Kornblatt has experience on local non-profit board and advisory committees and other volunteer activities. He grew up in Highland Park attending Wayne Thomas, Northwood, Elm Place, and Highland Park High School. He has two young children, the oldest of which started kindergarten earlier this fall.
The NSSD 112 Caucus, which is not affiliated with NSSD 112, is a private group of community volunteers representing each of District 112’s schools, and includes both parents of students as well as community members who do not have children in the district. This year, there were 46 voting delegates, representing a wide range of opinions and viewpoints. Delegates met regularly during October and November of this year to prepare candidate questions, revise bylaws, and identify qualified candidates for the NSSD 112 School Board.
The District 112 Caucus Leadership Board:
Chairperson: Richard Heineman
Co-Vice Chairs: Monica Kornberg and Howard Metz
Co-Secretaries: Gayle Kalmin and Valerie Archambeau
Members at Large: Paul Martinez and Jennifer Freeman