March 28, 2024
Local News

Joliet Township High School District 204 board chooses new member

12 people submitted applications for board vacancy, records show

The Joliet Township High School District 204 Board selected a new member to fill a seat that became vacant after the resignation of Board President Tracy Spesia.

Lorraine Guerrero Neumayer, senior trauma therapist for Will County Children’s Advocacy Center, was chosen at Tuesday’s meeting to serve on the board until the April election, according to a District 204 news release.

In a statement, Board President Frank Edmon Jr. said Guerrero Neumayer comes to the board with a “wealth of knowledge” after serving on the Joliet Public Schools District 86 board and her involvement with organizations such as the Spanish Community Center, Big Brother Big Sisters, Guardian Angel Community Services, Housing Authority of Joliet and United Way.

Spesia submitted her resignation
Sept. 8
. About a week later, district officials announced they would be accepting applications for the board vacancy
until Sept. 30.

“Applications will be reviewed in closed session by the [District Board] to determine which applicants have been selected for an interview,” officials said. “A public vote during a board meeting to approve the appointed candidate will occur on or before November 6.”

Records obtained in a Freedom of Information Act request show 12 people applied. The other applicants besides Guerrero Neumayer were:

• Christine Bartz, Bolingbrook High School mathematics teacher

• Ranisah Brown, IlliniCare Health/CVS Health care coordinator

• Mike Clark, NAACP Joliet branch president and account executive

• Scott Duensing, Lemont High School industrial technology teacher

• Tammy Hunsaker, Valley View District 365U and Plainfield District 202 substitute teacher

• Angela Huntington, Lockport Township High School special education director

• Nicholas Kapellas, Orland Park Bonefish Grill managing partner

• Charles Lopez Jr., retired District 204 maintenance department employee

• Ernesto Lopez, Kinder Morgan manager

• Svetlana Moore, Plainfield Walmart academy facilitator

• Jazmin Torres Aguillon, Filtration Group assembler and recent Joliet Central High School graduate

Felix Sarver

Felix Sarver

Felix Sarver covers crime and courts for The Herald-News