The Viking Logue sent out a questionnaire to all nine candidates in the District 211 Board of Education race. See all of the candidates’ responses to one of the questions below. See here for The Logue‘s full coverage of the April 6 election, including the candidates’ responses to other topics on the questionnaire.

Tell us about yourself. What qualities, experiences, and skills make you a good choice for the Board?

Curtis Bradley: I am longtime D211 resident which helps me understand the issues facing our community and the importance of this Board seat. My entire family has graduated from D211 – I’m a 1991 graduate of Conant HS, my wife is a 1991 graduate of Schaumburg HS, and we have two adult sons (27 and 23) that graduated from District 211, where they were involved in wrestling, football and basketball. I strongly believe in the importance of contributing to my community, and have been a volunteer and mentor for most of my adulthood – contributing to organizations such as the WYMCA in Elgin, where I mentored immigrants in financial literacy, or coaching football for 11 years and being an active volunteer team parent. I am also the Vice President Bank Manager at BMO Harris and have received many “Top Performer” awards in Financial/Banking Management. This experience will help me bring fiscal responsibility to the Board, ensuring D211 remains strong financially and debt-free.

Denise Wilson: Denise Wilson was born and raised in Indianapolis Indiana and moved to Hoffman Estates in 1984, as part of AT&T’s expansion into the computer market, where she has built and managed organizations and developed budgets in numerous areas of the telecommunications business (software development, sales, network security, credit and collections) and worked with unions with AT&T, Ameritech, SBC and Lucent.

Denise is actively committed to the community, volunteering for the last 20 years with the Village of Hoffman Estates starting as a Commissioner on the Zone Board and currently is a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission. For the last 2 years she has been a Community Representative on the Administration and Finance Committee for the Hoffman Estates Park District.

Denise currently holds the position of Vice President on the Lutheran Day Early Childhood Center board located in Chicago Illinois. And for many years she supported the Midwest Center Against Sexual Assault as an Illinois Rape Victim Advocate.

Through her volunteering, she demonstrates a strong commitment to the Community of Hoffman Estates and dedication to support others. These positions have given her the opportunity to hear people’s concerns and to facilitate change.

Denise is a professional artist who offers commissioned artwork to “capture a moment in time” in colored pencil, graphite or pastel. She has one daughter that attended both District 54 and District 211 continuing to become a Forensic Psychiatrist.

Robi Vollkommer:  I grew up in Hanover Park and I am a Hoffman Estates High School alumna. I hold a bachelor degree in Sociology and minor in Japanese from Illinois State University. After graduating college, I spent two years living and studying in Japan. I have resided in Schaumburg for the past 15 years along with my husband and three children who have gone through District 54 and D211. Two children are currently in D211.

Since 2013 I have worked as a Bilingual Recruiter at a Japanese staffing agency in Schaumburg.

My commitment to volunteering and fostering positive change has included being a commissioner of the Village of Schaumburg Sister Cities and being part of the Welcome Committee for diplomats and students from Japan and Germany. I also lead two trips to Japan with local students via my Non-For-Profit organization that I started back in 2008, Schaumburg Oyanokai. Schaumburg Oyanokai also sponsors an annual Japanese Culture Night at Dooley Elementary School in Schaumburg, home to the Japanese Dual Language Program. This largely attended community event allows for Japanese cultural learning beyond the classroom. This event has grown over the years and has included attendees like the Mayor of Schaumburg, the Japanese Consulate General, and D54 and D211 administration and board members.

I also worked successfully with D211 administration to offer Japanese language classes for students at all five high schools after seeing a need for students to have a continuum of their Japanese language studies in high school.

Some of my current volunteer commitments are Co-President of the Schaumburg HS Booster Club, Director of Schaumburg Oyanokai, and a Village of Schaumburg Sister City Commissioner.

These experiences have allowed me to gain valuable knowledge of the needs of the community.

Kristen Steel: I am Kristen Steel. I am awesome. I hope to continue to be a role model for all young women seeking to be a strong voice in the community making a difference for others. Vote for me if you are of age, and tell your parents to vote for me to ensure the future of D211 is bright. We’re Stronger Together!!

Jessica Hinkle: I am Jessica Hinkle, I was born and raised in Hanover Park, IL. I attended D54 schools then I Graduated from Hoffman Estates High School. I received my Bachelors of Science from Eastern Illinois University, majoring in Zoology and Minoring in Chemistry.

I met my husband while in high school. We were rivals as he Conant High School and I went to Hoffman.

We have been together for over 26 years and have been married for over 22 years.

We started a family and as our kids entered into school, we wanted our kids to have the same great experiences we had in school educationally, emotionally and athletically, so we wanted to be in D21.

We have a freshman at SHS and a 6th grader at Hoover Math and Science Academy. Both boys have been very active in many sports, but are now focused on wrestling and golf.

I have over 20 years of volunteer community involvement at various levels of various groups… from being a PTA member, a football team mom to running organizations and being an active member of various league boards.

Career wise, I am a business professional with 20+ year experience in quality control and quality assurance in the pharmaceutical and dietary supplement industries, with a focus on upholding regulatory systems and implementing operational compliance standards. In many of my roles I have also been responsible for hiring, training and mentoring employees as well as creating and managing multi-million dollar budgets. I believe the success I have had in my career is due to my education, upbringing, being a hard worker and an analytical and critical thinker.

Roxanne Wittkamp: I have served and advocated for our community’s educational needs as a District 211 teacher and a college professor. My three children are graduates from Schaumburg High School. I hold a bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa, an MBA from Webster University. I am pursuing my doctorate in Adult Education in which I should be complete in June 2021. I am a business college professor, National faculty member at DeVry University. I believe in education for all high school students after graduation, whether it’s college or vocational training.

Anna Klimkowicz: I have had the privilege to serve as Board Member for 23 years. It has been amazing to see how the district has grown and developed over these years. I strive to encourage the District to develop and learn so that we can provide a safe educational environment for students, our staff and the community.

My background is in the human services field. For the past 10 years I have worked at a non-profit serving as the Housing Program Manager assisting individuals facing housing insecurities, food insecurities and employment challenges. Prior to this I worked in the General Assistance Department at Schaumburg Township for 19 years. My passion in dealing with those in crisis lead me to getting my Master in Human Services and becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor. I have gravitated to working part-time as a substance abuse and gambling counselor. Listening to people and helping them work towards their goals has been extremely rewarding and something I enjoy. Everyone needs to be heard.

The values that I bring are: integrity, commitment, knowledge and leadership.

My involvement in the community includes, PTA, Girl and Boy Scouts, Schaumburg Peer Jury, Volunteer at WING’s, Volunteer at CAC, Schaumburg Athletic Association, and Schaumburg High School VIP. And most recently, a member of the Governor’s Task Force for Social Emotional Learning.

I also serve on various Board committees and as the Governing Board Member to Northwest Suburban Special Education Organization (NSSEO) for our special needs students.

Tim Mc Gowan: I’m a father, community activist, small business owner, and 2006 graduate of William Fremd High School. I’m running for the District 211 Board of Education because there are voices that need and deserve representation at the district level. From issues of racism and sexual violence to mental health and bullying, our students are struggling with issues that prevent them from achieving academic success. While I am thankful for my D211 education and grateful to my teachers, these are some of the same issues I heard about or directly experienced. To be frank, my time at Fremd wasn’t always comfortable. And when I had the opportunity to hear from students this summer, it became obvious that students are still experiencing these problems 15 years later. My personal experiences give me an important perspective on the issues that affect students in our community who are often overlooked.