Publications & Sites 
Six seek spots on Pleasantdale District 107 School Board
Election 2013
Who they are
KIM BARKER
Occupation: vice president, Collaborative Marketing Group, Inc., Wheaton
Lived in district: 12 years
Hometown: Willow Springs
Offices held: member, Pleasantdale Little League Board
DOUGLAS J. GILMAN
Occupation: vice president, Aon
Lived in district: 9.5 years
Hometown: Willow Springs
Offices held: None
MICHAEL HAWBAKER
Occupation: pharmacist
Lived in district: 6 years
Hometown: Burr Ridge
Offices held: None
MARK MIRABILE
Occupation: business manager, WidePoint Corp.
Lived in district: 14 years
Hometown: Burr Ridge
Offices held: member, Pleasantdale School Board, 2004-present
GREGORY M. SENGPIEL
Occupation: general manager Americas, Original Software, Inc., Westmont
Lived in district: 15 years
Hometown: Burr Ridge
Offices held: None
KRISTIN VIOLANTE
Occupation: superintendent of parks and recreation, village of Willowbrook
Lived in district: 7 years
Hometown: Willow Springs
Offices held: secretary, Gateway Special Recreation Association
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Updated: April 15, 2013 6:08AM
BURR RIDGE — Four candidates for Pleasantdale Elementary District 107 have banded together as Focus 4 The Future, challenging an incumbent and first-time candidate.
Kim Barker, Doug Gilman, Greg Sengpiel and Kristin Violante formed a ticket, while incumbent Mark Mirabile is seeking a third term, and Michael Hawbaker is running for the first time.
Voters will choose four candidates for the School Board in the April 9 election.
Violante said the four Focus candidates come from diverse backgrounds but share a common goal of transparency and increased communication between the School Board and the public.
Gilman adds fiscal responsibility to his list of top priorities.
“They have fallen short by not demanding accountability for all major expenditures, nor have they pushed the administration to lower operating expenses,” Gilman said.
Gilman cited “runaway” legal fees, which have grown in recent years due to the board’s decision to have an attorney present at all meetings.
Mirabile supports the decision. With board meetings held only once a month, the presence of an attorney means questions and issues can be resolved on the spot, rather than weeks later.
The district pays an attorney $800 per monthly meeting.
Like Gilman, Violante favors hiring a full-time curriculum director to guide the district through its transition to common core standards. He also said the potential for pension reform and adoption of the common core curriculum are issues that will face the next board.
“We need School Board members who are going to ask the tough questions when they need to be asked and vote on what is best for the kids as well as the community,” Violante said.
Barker adds teacher retention and special education to the list of issues she would like to tackle.
“Countless families have expressed concerns that their children’s needs are not being diagnosed or met by the district,” Barker said. “I’d like to determine the extent of this issue and develop a plan to correct it.”
Mirabile said he is committed to the success of each student regardless of strengths and weaknesses, and he favors enhancements to all parts of the curriculum, including those for gifted students and students with special needs.
He said he favors a curriculum that encourages higher level, problem-solving skills. Mirabile agrees there is room for improvement in communication, particularly to parents about student performance on standardized tests.
Hawbaker said his reason for choosing to run is simple.
“I love our school district and our community,” he said. “I feel blessed to be a member of this community and would be willing to contribute my time and effort on behalf of all families.”
When it comes to the board itself, Hawbaker sees room for improvement.
“Disagreements over obscure details are making decision-making more difficult than it needs to be,” said Hawbaker.
He agrees the current board needs to improve its communication skills.
Hawbaker also sees room for growth when it comes to sports. He would like to see more school-sponsored sports programs at the elementary school, such as volleyball and basketball.
“Such programs would expose students to more exercise, good sportsmanship, and organizational skills,” he said.
