Board of Trustees

Sreeram joined the Board as he's been a part of the ACS community for over a decade and has appreciated the School's impact on his children (Avi, ACS'13 and Nani, ACS'18) and their friends. When the opportunity to serve arose, he was honored to participate in furtherance of the School's success. For Sreeram, an institution that nurtures children in an inclusive environment, and one that encourages thoughtful citizenship and risk-taking deserves its community's gratitude and support. Outside of ACS, Sreeram is an engineer by training, now a private investor by way of the derivatives markets of Chicago. In high school, and later in graduate school, his favorite classes were in commerce, economics, and business. He loves spending time, and traveling, with his family. 

Board positions/committees served include the Finance Committee and Strategic Planning Committee. Board member since 2016. 

Jennifer is extremely dedicated to the mission of ACS and appreciates the opportunity to preserve and strengthen the incredible learning environment that it offers by serving on the Board. She also very much enjoys collaborating with other parents, alumni, administrators, and teachers on initiatives and events that unify the community and support the goals of the school. For Jennifer, ACS is the place where each of her three kids has found a true intellectual and emotional home, and the bonds that they have formed with their incredible teachers and fellow classmates create a nurturing and inspiring atmosphere that has fostered their love of learning and strengthened their character. A deep sense of gratitude for all of this compels Jennifer to support ACS however she can. In her personal life, Jennifer double-majored in History & Literature in college, where her favorite class was "Concepts of the Hero in Ancient Greek Civilization." She did medical ethics research and consulted in medical education after graduating from medical school. Her hobbies include: the Home & School Association, attending jazz concerts and live theater with her husband, and NHL hockey. 

Board positions/committees served as Board of Trustees assistant secretary and new Development Committee chair. Board member since 2017.

Julie Swinehart is a proud parent of three children including ACS Class of 2019 alum Brandon Hornickle, ACS Class of2021 student Ben Hornickle, and Ben’s twin sister Emma Hornickle who attends public school in La Grange. She and her wife Andrea Hornickle have served as ACS Parent Ambassadors and have actively supported ACS each year since joining the community, including during the Annual Auction. Professionally, Julie brings more than twenty years of business experience to the Board, including a depth of financial and real estate experience, and she currently serves as Chief Financial Officer of a publicly-traded real estate investment trust.  She holds a B.S. in Accountancy from the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign and is a CPA.  In her spare time, Julie enjoys traveling, spending time with friends and also with family – playing board and strategy games, completing puzzles, going on bike rides, and going for walks.

Board committees served include the Buildings and Grounds Committee. Board member since 2019.

Nancy is an advocate for The Avery Coonley School and the education and experiences that it provides. She promotes the ACS faculty as specialized in gifted education, and delivering unparalleled opportunities and support to students. As an alumna of the school, she is invested in its growth and success. With three children at ACS, Nancy is actively involved. In addition to classroom volunteerism, Nancy served as President of the Alumni Council (2015-2018), Strategic Plan Steering Committee Member (2017-2018), Strategic Plan Diversity Work Group Co-Chair (2017-2018), Development Committee member (2015-2018), and Alumni Representative to the Board of Trustees (2015-2018). Nancy joined the Board of Trustees in 2018. She serves on the Building and Grounds Committee and as co-chair of the Fleur de Lis Society. She attended Culver Girls Academy, Notre Dame, and Kellogg. After some consulting work, Nancy spent fifteen years at a medical device company in both global operations and global marketing roles. She specialized in product development, portfolio optimization, and marketing analytics while maintaining the patients’ needs and dignity as priority. 

Board member since 2018.

Gerry Jablonski joined the board because he believes Avery Coonley is the best local elementary school for academically bright and gifted students. As a parent of two students that transferred into the school, he was extremely impressed with the simultaneously challenging and nurturing culture that Avery Coonley provides. When asked to join the board he was grateful to be able to contribute to the future success of the school and its students. Outside of Avery Coonley, Gerry has been a nuclear engineer, a computer engineer, and a financial markets professional. He is on the advisory board of Greenhouse Scholars, the due diligence committee of Irish Angels, an angel investing group, and a member of the Village of Hinsdale Plan Commission. His recreational pursuits including cooking and mountain biking.

Lisa's family joined the Avery Coonley School community in 2009 when her daughter, Britta, started in 2nd Group and her daughter, Tate, started in JK. She has enjoyed serving alongside great parents and Avery Coonley teachers and administrators in a number of different capacities with the school. She served as one of the co-founders of the HSA Fun Run in 2010. Lisa was Silent Auction Chair in 2011 and Auction Co-Chair in 2012. She has been a room parent, has served for three years on the Marketing and Enrollment Committee and most recently served on the Strategic Planning Steering Committee of the Board. Her most enjoyable experience at ACS has been serving as an Admissions Tour Guide for the past six years, sharing with perspective families the valuable and enriching experience her girls have had at ACS. 

Board committees served include the Marketing and Enrollment Committee (current Chair) and Strategic Planning Steering Committee. Board member since 2019.

Brendan joined the Board to make an impact on the future direction of ACS and supports the school community because he feels that grade school and middle school are the most formative years of a student's academic career. He appreciates how ACS pushes students to their potential and sets high expectations for them both in and out of the classroom. Outside of the Board, Brendan has been an equity options trader for the 23 years. He is a concert goer and podcast listener, and his favorites classes in school were economics, statistics, philosophy, and religion. 

Board positions/committees served include the Development Committee, Buildings and Grounds Committee, and Enrollment and Marketing Committee. Board member since 2015.

William joined the Board to participate in the stewardship of ACS and to contribute to the experience of his daughter, her classmates, and all of the students at the school. He supports ACS because it has been the right place for his children to learn and grow, as it has been for so many other children. As parent, William feels it is important that he does what he can to facilitate ACS's continuation for future kids. Outside of ACS, William is the Executive Director of the Illinois State Board of Investment, and has served in that capacity since 2003. He enjoys traveling with his wife Reagen, daughter Ainsley, and son William, and he enjoys reading whenever he gets the time. 

Board positions/committees served include the Finance Committee (current Chair). Board member since 2014.

Jeff Chen believes that a well-rounded education is the key to a better community, country, and world. He joined the board to continue Avery Coonley’s heritage of educating kids to become not just thoughtful and responsible citizens, but also leaders that direct their talents and competencies to make great impacts to society each in their own unique way. As a parent of two students at ACS, he can see they are well on their way. Jeff is an Information Technology consultant and has assisted Chicago Public Schools on many projects in Human Resource Systems and Student Information Systems. He is also on the Board of Trustees of the Union League Boys and Girls Club which serves over 15,000 youth each year in some of Chicago’s most underserved neighborhoods.

Margie is committed to the mission and vision of ACS and enjoys serving on the Board in order to stay connected to her love for gifted education and life-long learning. She is driven by her passion to see students thrive and grow into people who make a difference in the world around them. Margie believes the most important thing we can do for our children is invest into their education early on in order to give them the knowledge and foundation for success, confidence and empathy in a changing world. Margie’s oldest daughter, Abby, is a member of the class of 2020, and ACS was a place Abby was challenged academically, cultivated her values and voice, and developed into an independent and self-motivated high school student. Margie is a LifePlan facilitator and coach who pushes her clients toward clarity amid complex stories, leading them to greater understanding and purpose. She works best in a collaborative, team environment focused on new ideas and projects.  While Abby was a student at ACS, Margie volunteered on Holiday House committee, Book Fair, Room Parent and served one year as Vice President of HSA. Outside of work, she loves traveling, time with her family and playing tennis.

Brian joined the ACS Board in order to have a voice in furthering the mission of the school for the students of its future. This is primarily done via strategic planning which provides high level guidance to the administration. He believes in supporting ACS as it is preparing his children for a diverse world in a balanced program of arts, education, and sports, with like-minded peers. Outside of ACS, Brian is a finance executive helping companies and entrepreneurs navigate the accounting and finance world. His interests include in numbers, people, thought leadership, technology, food, and live music. 

Board positions/committees served include the Committee on Trustees, Development Committee (current Chair), and Building and Grounds Committee. Board member since 2014.

Shilpa has been involved with the Avery Coonley School for many years: first as a student, then as a member (and later President) of the Alumni Council, and now as a member of the Board of Trustees. Her experiences as a student at Avery Coonley instilled in her the belief that a love of learning carries through a person's life and that the culture and community of Avery Coonley nurtures this love.  She attended Georgetown University, Johns Hopkins University, Pritkzer School of Law, and Kellogg. During her career, she has taught elementary school through Teach for America, worked in higher education, and practiced law in both New York and Chicago. During her spare time, Shilpa likes to watch Jeopardy, travel with friends, and spend time with her niece and nephew.

Sue joined the Board to help with making ACS the obvious school of choice for all intellectually advanced students. She feels strongly that ACS is the only place where students are constantly surrounded by like-minded peers. In addition, the school has a great understanding of the social and emotional needs of academically talented students. In her personal life, Sue worked at Coopers & Lybrand (now PwC) as an auditor and consultant. She's also worked in a variety of volunteer roles with organizations such as AYSO, Hinsdale Swim Club, and Greater Chicago Food Depository. 

Board positions/committees served include the Enrollment and Marketing Committee and Finance Committee. Board member since 2012.

Raj joined the Board because as a physician, he's had experience in running a service-driven business which dictates high performance and quality products to others, finding it similar to how private schooling can be a difficult endeavor to successfully deliver and requires multidisciplinary personnel to guide the values it cherishes. Raj's support of ACS comes from his own experience as a student receiving private education, and of having children in ACS, where he's had the opportunity to see the educational and moral benefits of similarly minded peers in one's surroundings. He is an advocate of nurturing the learning atmosphere and uncovering the potential of young minds. Raj is a practicing eye transplant surgeon for 20 years; his goals have been focused on training the future surgeons in excellent care. Trained at Johns Hopkins, Raj was on staff for several years for his medical acumen and research achievements. His hobbies include competing in Olympic triathlons and performing magic shows. One of his favorite classes was symphonic wind ensemble, where he was one of the saxophone quartet who travelled throughout Europe playing on radio stations. Raj also serves on the Board of Examiners, American board of Ophthalmology, Written, and the Board of Examiners, American board of Ophthalmology, Oral. 

Board member since 2017.

Jacqueline joined the board because she wants to help make ACS the best institution it can be. She is passionate about the school with all the traditions and experiences it has offered her three children and their classmates over the years. She feels strongly about supporting ACS because her two children, who are recent ACS alums, truly appreciate the educational foundation they received. It is important that generations to come can continue to experience the same traditions and educational offerings that her children have benefitted from while at ACS. Outside ACS, Jacqueline previously worked as a Certified Public Accountant in audit and financial consulting before becoming a full-time mother of three children. She loves attending all her children’s events and activities in addition to playing tennis, traveling, entertaining, volunteering, reading a good historical fiction book, and attending musicals and concerts. 

Board positions/committees served include the Development Committee, Graduation Committee, Finance Committee, Annual Fund (former Chair), and Auction-Live (former Chair). Board member since 2013.

John joined the Board to support the head of school and to help improve ACS in areas focused on the students themselves: their academic excellence, their quality of life, and their future opportunities. For John, ACS is a unique school of like-minded kids, a center for excellence in education, cherishing both timeless traditions and modern technology, with families committed to providing the greatest opportunities for their children to grow. In his personal life, he is an engineer by training, currently managing a company that provides consulting, analytic, and high technology services to organized medicine. John enjoys spending time with his family, coaching baseball, playing golf, watching Shakespeare, and walking his family's dogs in the woods. 

Board positions/committees served include the Policy and Planning Committee (former Chair) and Finance Committee. Board member since 2011.

As an alumnus, Kevin has always appreciated how ACS has enriched his life and joined the Board to try to give back to the school. He fully endorses the ACS history and mission. In his personal life, Kevin has had his own architectural practice since 1981. He has served as Chair of the Naperville Historic Preservation Commission and is a former board member of the Naperville Building Review Board. Love of family, motorcycling, vintage cars, skiing, and flying keep him going.

Board positions/committees include B&G (current chair). Board member since 2015.