A resident of Bartlett, Ms. Owens was first elected to the Board of Education in 2017. She served on the Citizens' Advisory Council for seven years, chairing the Special Education Committee and the General Council. She has also held seats on the Elgin Alignment Collaborative for Education's Operating board and, most recently, the U-46 Educational Foundation board. Ms. Owens holds a BA in Business Economics and Political Science and a MA in Biology. Currently, she works for Chicago Voyagers, a Schaumburg-based nonprofit organization. Her term expires in the spring of 2025.

Ms. Owens completed both her Open Meetings Act Training and Performance Evaluation Reform Act/Professional Development Leadership Training on July 7, 2017. Click the links below to view her Certificates of Completion.

Open Meetings Act Certificate

Performance Evaluation Reform Act/Professional Development Leadership Certificate

An Elgin resident and former U-46 educator, Kathleen Thommes was elected to the Board of Education in April, 2019. She now teaches at Elgin Community College. She earned her teaching certificate from Illinois State University and has two master’s degrees; one in the art of teaching and the other in teaching English to speakers of other languages. She has also served as the tutor trainer coordinator for Literacy Connection of Elgin and as co-chair of the Specialized Student Services and Finance committees for the Citizens’ Advisory Council. She has three children in U-46. Her term expires in the spring of 2027.

Ms. Thommes completed both her Open Meetings Act Training and Performance Evaluation Reform Act/Professional Development Leadership Training on June 7, 2019. Click the links below to view her Certificates of Completion.

Open Meetings Act Certificate

Performance Evaluation Reform Act/Professional Development Leadership Certificate

A Bartlett resident, Chanda Schwartz was elected to the Board of Education in 2023. She served on the Community Advisory Council (CAC) for five years, serving as Chair for two years, and previously as the CAC Vice-Chair and co-chair of the Specialized Student Services Committee.  She also served as a community co-chair for Unite U-46 and as an Operating Board member for the Alignment Collaborative for Education (ACE). Mrs. Schwartz holds a BSE in Computer Engineering and currently works as an admissions officer. She has two children in U-46. Her term expires spring of 2027.

Mrs. Schwartz completed her Open Meetings Act Training on May 13, 2023. Click the link below to view her Certificates of Completion.

Open Meetings Act Certificate

Performance Evaluation Reform Act/Professional Development Leadership Certificate 

A resident of Bartlett, was elected to the Board of Education in 2015. She has been a member of the Citizens’ Advisory Council where she has co-chaired a number of committees. Ms. Kerr worked as a computer programmer analyst at the University of Chicago Library. Ms. Kerr’s term expires in the spring of 2027.

Ms. Kerr completed both her Open Meetings Act Training and Performance Evaluation Reform Act/Professional Development Leadership Training on June 5, 2015. Click the links below to view her Certificates of Completion.

Open Meetings Act Certificate

Performance Evaluation Reform Act/Professional Development Leadership Certificate

A Bartlett resident, Samreen Khan was elected to the Board of Education in April 2023. Ms. Khan is a U-46 parent with vast experience in city and state government. Since 2002, she has assisted and advised on numerous political campaigns at Illinois's federal, state, county, and local levels of government. Ms. Khan holds a master’s degree in international studies from the University of Denver and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Ms. Khan is serving her first term, which expires in the spring of 2027.

Ms. Khan completed both her Open Meetings Act Training and Performance Evaluation Reform Act/Professional Development Leadership Training on May 6, 2023. Click the links below to view her Certificates of Completion.

Open Meetings Act Certificate

Performance Evaluation Reform Act/Professional Development Leadership Certificate

A Bartlett resident, Dawn Martin was elected to the Board of Education in April 2021.  Mrs. Martin has two children, both of whom will be in high school come fall. She has volunteered within the District for many years, including recently with the Bartlett High School Parent Committee and Boosters Club. Mrs. Martin also volunteers her time with Illinois Swimming/USA Swimming as a certified official. Mrs. Martin is serving her first term, which expires in the spring of 2025.

Open Meetings Act Certificate

Performance Evaluation Reform Act/Professional Development Leadership Certificate

An Elgin resident, is active with the Channing Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization, having previously served as Vice-President. She also has been a member of both the U-46 Hispanic Parent Leadership Institute and the Citizens’ Advisory Council. Ms. Noland was elected to the Board of Education in 2013 and her term expires in the spring of 2025.

Ms. Noland completed her Open Meetings Act Training on April 8, 2015, and Performance Evaluation Reform Act/Professional Development Leadership Training on Nov. 22, 2013. Click the links below to view her Certificates of Completion.

Open Meetings Act Certificate

Performance Evaluation Reform Act/Professional Development Leadership Certificate 

Mahitha Ratakonda is a senior at Elgin High School. Mahitha serves as the 2024-25 Student Advisor for the U-46 Board of Education.