SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) announced Tuesday that it has named a Financial Oversight Panel (FOP) for North Chicago School District 187 with David Agazzi serving as the panel’s chair. The FOP, with five ISBE-appointed volunteer members, will serve District 187 for at least three years in order to help the district achieve financial stability.

“On behalf of the Board, I want to thank these citizens for stepping up to offer their time and expertise in helping this district get back in good financial health,” said State Superintendent of Education Christopher A. Koch. “Districts that are operating with a balanced budget are better able to serve students today and plan for the future.”

The ISBE-appointed members of the FOP are:

David Agazzi, Vice President of Administrative Affairs for the College of Lake County. Mr. Agazzi’s previous experience includes Vice President of Administrative Services for Joliet Junior College and Deputy Chief Operating Officer for Chicago Public Schools. Mr. Agazzi lives in Highland Park and will serve as the Chairman of the FOP.

Evelyn Alexander, retired Assistant to the Mayor with the City of North Chicago after 28 years of service. Ms. Alexander volunteers as a Commissioner for the City of North Chicago Housing Authority, City of North Chicago E-911 board member, and a member of the College of Lake County (Lake Shore campus) Advisory Committee. Ms. Alexander lives in North Chicago.

Cheryl Crates, retiring Chief Financial Officer for Carpentersville-based Community Unit School District 300. Ms. Crates brings 40 years of experience in school finance to the Financial Oversight Panel and has previously worked as the Chief Financial Officer in the North Chicago School District. She also serves as the Chairperson for the Illinois Association of School Business Officials (IASBO) Delegate Advisory Assembly. Ms. Crates lives in Algonquin.

Hornsby Kneeland, Design Engineer at Molex. Mr. Kneeland also serves on the Board of Commissioners for the North Chicago Housing Authority. While serving four years as an Alderman for the City of North Chicago,Mr. Kneeland was appointed chair and vice-chair of several committees. Mr. Kneeland also enjoys volunteering as a local children and teens’ coach. Mr. Hornsby lives in North Chicago.

Shaunese Teamer, Executive Director of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce after serving more than 20 years as a Corporate Communications and Marketing Executive with WTTW Channel 11 in Chicago. Ms. Teamer also served four years as an Alderwoman for the City of North Chicago. Ms. Teamer lives in North Chicago.

North Chicago School District 187 serves nearly 4,000 students and has been under ISBE oversight since December 2010. The State Board will consider Wednesday whether or not to remove the locally elected board and replace them with an independent authority. The district's failure to meet standards for nine years under the federal No Child Left Behind law (NCLB) triggered the state’s intervention. The creation of the FOP will provide the district with a greater ability to meet the financial challenges the district is facing after years of deficit spending.