Meet the Board

  • The Board of Education establishes a vision for the community’s schools that reflects a consensus of the board, community, and district staff. The school board has a wide variety of additional responsibilities, including, but not limited to, adopting a balanced annual budget, adopting the school calendar, negotiating contracts with employee unions, and approving curriculum programs. Some questions the school board asks when determining this vision include: What philosophy of education do we want our local schools to have? What should our students know and be able to do when they graduate? How can schools best educate students who come from diverse backgrounds?

     

    School board meetings must be open to the public with the agenda publicly posted in advance in accordance with the Illinois Open Meetings Act (5 ILCS 120/). A lot can be learned about your district’s policies, successes, and challenges by attending a meeting.
Woodridge 68 Board of Education

  • Pictured left to right: Joshua Christ; Thomas Ruggio; Dr. M. Joann Wright; Dr. L. Cricel Molina De Mesa, Vice President; Donna Hebreard; Stuart Vanorny, President; Scott Coley

Phone: 630-795-6804

Email:

Degrees and Certifications:

Stuart Vanorny

President
Board member since 2019; current term expires 2027
LEND representative; Policy Committee
 
Stuart Vanorny has a master's degree in humanities from the University of Chicago and a bachelor's degree in English from Winona State University. He has worked in the education field for over 20 years and is currently the Director of Learning Design for LearningMate where he helps colleges and universities across the country architect and implement innovative educational solutions to improve teaching and learning.
 
Since 2014, he's been a frequent volunteer baseball, basketball, flag football, and soccer coach. Previously, Mr. Vanorny served as Secretary of the Woodridge Soccer Association Board for 4 years and is a former head coach for the Woodridge Storm Soccer Club. In 2017, Mr. Vanorny was selected as Woodridge Park District's Coach of the Year.
 
Mr. Vanorny and his wife, Julie, live in the Willow Creek attendance area with their two children. They have lived in Woodridge since 2009.

Phone: 630-795-6804

Email:

Degrees and Certifications:

Dr. Lourdes Cricel Molina De Mesa

Vice President
Board member since 2019; current term expires 2027
SASED Governing Board alternate; Insurance Committee
 
Cricel Molina De Mesa grew up in Woodridge and attended Meadowview and Thomas Jefferson Junior High. She received a BS in Psychology from Loyola University Chicago, a Masters in Public Health from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a PhD in Public Health from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. Currently, Dr. Molina De Mesa is a professor in the Department of Health Sciences at DePaul University, where her teaching and research focuses on epidemiology, aging, and health disparities. 
 
Dr. Molina De Mesa and her husband, Khalil, live in the Willow Creek attendance area with their daughter.
 

Phone: 630-795-6804

Email:

Degrees and Certifications:

Joshua Christ

Member

Board member since 2021; current term expires 2025

Policy Committee chair

 

Josh Christ earned a bachelor’s degree in Construction Management from Illinois State University. He currently works for BEAR Construction Company as a Project Executive in Chicago. He has served on other boards including Illinois State University Construction Management Advisory Board, Naperville Covenant Church, Beverly Covenant Church and Svecia Country Club. He volunteers his time through coaching in the Woodridge Park District and being a mentor to students through BuildOn.

 

Mr. Christ and his wife, Bridget, live in the Murphy attendance area and have been residents of Woodridge since 2010. They have two children who attend school in Woodridge 68. Mr. Christ is serving his first term as a Board member.

Phone: 630-795-6804

Email:

Degrees and Certifications:

Scott Coley

Member

Board member since 2017; current term expires 2025

Policy Committee; Ethics Committee; Joint Annual Conference alternate

 

Scott Coley has been a local small business owner for over 25 years. He has a master’s degree in business from Benedictine University and a Bachelor of Arts in math and sociology from Lycoming College.

 

Mr. Coley previously served on the Woodridge 68 School Board for eight years and is an avid community volunteer. He served on the Woodridge Soccer Board and coached soccer for 15 years and volunteers with the Boy Scouts and at many Woodridge events.

 

Scott has lived in Woodridge School District 68 for over 35 years with his wife and three children, who all attended Woodridge 68 schools.

Phone: 630-795-6804

Email:

Degrees and Certifications:

Donna Hebreard

Member

Board member since 2023; current term expires 2027

Policy Committee; Ethics Committee

 

Donna Hebreard earned a BS in Elementary Education from Illinois State University before beginning her middle school teaching career in 2001 for the Plainfield School District, where she currently enjoys teaching 7th grade social studies. Early in her career, she also earned her MS Ed in Instructional Technology from Northern Illinois University, along with her Media Specialist endorsement through additional classes at Illinois State.

 

Donna is also a co-leader for her daughter's Girl Scout Troop and has most recently served as the secretary for the Meadowview PTO board, after being an active volunteer for several preceding years. She has enjoyed living in the Meadowview attendance area of Woodridge with her husband, Daniel, and their two children, Kevin and Lea, since 2009. 

Phone: 630-795-6804

Email:

Degrees and Certifications:

Thomas Ruggio

Member

Board member since 2005; current term expires 2025

SASED Governing Board representative; SASED Board of Directors alternate; Ethics Committee

 

Tom Ruggio and his wife Coni have lived in Woodridge since August 1979. They have three children, Nadine, Heather and Tom, who benefited from the educational opportunities they received while going through the Woodridge school system. During his 38-year career in the education field, Mr. Ruggio has been a teacher, a building administrator, a district administrator, and an educational consultant; he retired in June 2004.

 

He earned degrees from Illinois State University and Northeastern Illinois University as well as completing course work at both Concordia College and Northern Illinois University. Mr. Ruggio is currently a member of the Illinois Retired Teachers Association (IRTA), and Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) where he now serves as the Director of the DuPage Division.

Phone: 630-795-6804

Email:

Degrees and Certifications:

Dr. M. Joann Wright

Member

Board member since 2023; current term expires 2027

Joint Annual Conference delegate; LEND alternate; Policy Committee

 

Joann received her Ph.D. in Clinical and School Psychology from Hofstra University in 1996. Throughout her career, she has used her school psychology skills to apply psychological assessments to better understand children’s behavior and make recommendations for improvement in their lives. Additionally, she worked with Orland School District 135 to implement a new program to identify and give assistance to struggling students.

 

As a clinical psychologist, Joann in part opened programs at two institutions - Linden Oaks Behavioral Health and Suncloud Health - for adolescents with anxiety. Joann has focused on diversity, equity and inclusion throughout her career. She has worked with disenfranchised youth and finds this work very rewarding.

 

Joann serves on the Association of Contextual Behavioral Sciences Foundation Board as well as attending the Lisle Township Mental Health Board meetings.

 

Joann moved to Woodridge in 2013, and it is by far her favorite place she’s lived, which includes St. Louis, MO; Edwardsville, IL; Tempe, AZ; and Glen Head, NY.  She particularly enjoys the library and the park district for activities. She lives with her husband Larry, and when lucky, her bonus sons visit from Portland, Oregon.