District 88 Board of Education appoints new Board member

A new face has joined the District 88 Board of Education.

During its Aug. 31 meeting, the Board of Education appointed Blanca Jessen to fill a seat that opened after Jan Donovan resigned from the Board. Jessen will fill the term until the next Board is seated per the Consolidated General Election on April 4, 2017.

Jessen has a sophomore son at Willowbrook and a daughter who will be a freshman at Willowbrook next year. Her husband, Dennis, graduated from Willowbrook in 1986. Jessen’s ties to District 88 also include serving on the Willowbrook Parent Organization (WPO) and the Willowbrook Athletic Booster Club.

“District 88 is a tremendous school district,” Jessen said. “I’m honored and blessed to serve on the Board of Education, and I look forward to working with such experienced Board members to make a positive difference in the lives of our students and their families.”

Jessen was born in Mexico and lived there until she was about 7 years old and speaks Spanish and English. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in marketing and business from Illinois State University. She has worked as an Account Executive with Procter & Gamble for 19 years.

Jessen said her first step as a Board member is to get to know the district even better, so she can understand the challenges the district is facing and how Addison Trail and Willowbrook can continue to improve. She especially wants to make sure the needs of students in the special education program continue to be met.

“My passion is to make sure students have options and that we’re focusing on each and every child,” Jessen said. “Education is so important for our students who are doing well academically and have a future plan of attending college, but it also is critical for all the other students who might not pursue a four-year college experience and might follow a different path.”

Jessen will join District 88 Board of Education members Donna Craft Cain (President), Jay Irvin (Vice President), Sharon Kucik (Secretary), Thomas Edmier, Timothy Gillen and Lisa Lullo.