Two veterans, one newcomer file for Round Lake School Board

Filings for Round Lake Area Schools Board of Education closed yesterday. I’m getting some conflicting information on filings, as soon as I clarify I will announce more. However, we did put out a press release last week after filing but I didn’t see any press anywhere. Apparently the “controversial” W. Guy Finley isn’t so controversial anymore! 😉

Two veterans, one newcomer file for Round Lake School Board

ROUND LAKE, IL — January 29, 2007 — Two veteran Round Lake school board members and one newcomer filed nomination petitions for three of the six seats on the ballot for the April 17 election today. Six of the seven school board seats are up for election.

“We haven’t decided if we’re going to put together a slate of candidates to collectively campaign,” W. Guy Finley, one of those filing, said. “Tammie, Nanci and I support each other’s candidacies and even if the election isn’t contested we plan on doing some campaigning to inform the public,” Finley, a veteran board member, was referring to Tammie Hanna, a newcomer, and Nanci Radford, another veteran board member who also filed on Monday.

“Let’s just say I learned a lot from Clean Slate and I’m very comfortable with the folks I’m running with this time,” Finley said referring to his previous slate of candidates that won by large margins in 2001. “I’ve served with Nanci on the board and she brings an incredible amount of skills to the job that are very valuable and I’ve met extensively with Tammie and think she will bring some fresh new ideas and a voice for those in the district who don’t have, or have had, kids in our schools.”

“We each bring our own special skill set to the board of education. With a well rounded board, working together with administration, students, families, community members and businesses towards the common vision to provide the very best education possible, while remaining fiscally responsible,” Radford said. “Round Lake School District 116 can look forward to a bright and promising future for all of our youth.”

Radford is a long-time Round Lake Beach resident and was appointed to the board, then ran for election in 2003. She is an active member of the Round Lake Area BEST (Bringing Everyone’s Strengths Together) Coalition, CHARACTER COUNTS!, and the Lake County After School Coalition. Radford also works in the Round Lake community as the Coordinator of Youth and Family Strengthening Services for Nicasa.

Hanna, a Round Lake Beach resident, is a National Account Manager for Pactiv Corporation in Lake Forest. She is active in the Round Lake Area Exchange Club and serves as a mentor with Omni Youth Services based in Buffalo Grove. Hanna and Radford have both been active with the Shop With A Cop program.

Finley was previously elected in 2001 and rose to board vice-president before he resigned when his family moved to Lindenhurst in 2003. He was appointed to the board in January of last year after having returned to his boyhood home of Round Lake and is the district’s current representative on the Governing Board for SEDOL (Special Education District of Lake County). He was a soccer referee, regional and area board member with the American Youth Soccer Organization in Round Lake for 12 years and was a founding member of Round Lake CUBE (Citizens United for Better Education). He is a 1990 graduate of Round Lake High School and works for American Family Insurance as a Senior Field Claims Representative.

“We’ll see who else files, there may be others we wish to campaign with or support, we haven’t decided as of yet,” Finley said. “We’ve stopped the financial bleeding in the district. Now, it’s time to improve on academics while maintaining financial discipline and regain local control, which the School Finance Authority is supportive of — we need to show them we’re ready.”