District 202 announces seven administrative hires

The Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202 Board of Education announced the hiring of seven administrators at its June 12, 2006 meeting.

Craig Brown was tabbed as the district's Director of Administration and Personnel. Brown has amassed 12 years in the field of education (all at Oswego High School), including the last seven in high school administration. After teaching science for five years, Brown spent one year as Dean of Students at Oswego, four years as the school's Assistant Athletic Director, and the last two as its Assistant Principal. He received his bachelor's degree in biology from North Central College (Naperville, Ill.), and his master's degree in educational administration from Northern Illinois University. He lives in Oswego.

Linda Casey was named the district's Director of Instructional Technology. A 15-year veteran employee in District 202, she spent nine years as a teacher at Indian Trail Middle School, three years at Heritage Grove Middle School, and two years as a differentiation specialist at Creekside and Lakewood Falls Elementary School. She spent the last year working as the district's Assistant Director for English Language Learners. Casey holds a pair of master's degrees - one in curriculum and instruction from National-Louis University, and another in educational leadership from University of St. Francis (Ill.). She resides in Naperville.

Scott Fink was selected as Principal at Eagle Pointe Elementary School. Fink is no stranger to District 202, having served as the Assistant Principal at Drauden Point Middle School for the last three years. Fink has accumulated more than a decade of experience in education, beginning with a six-year stint as a science teacher at Tulsa (Okla.) Memorial High School. Fink spent two years as Principal at Taft Grade School (Lockport, Ill.), which serves students from kindergarten through eighth grade in Taft School District 90, before arriving at Drauden Point. Fink received his bachelor's degree from Baker University (Baldwin City, Kans.) and his master's degree in educational administration from Northern Illinois University. He has also completed work towards a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from Northern Illinois. He resides in Plainfield.

Dr. Hector Garcia was picked as the district's Director of Curriculum and Instruction, High School. Garcia has accumulated a decade of experience in high school administration, and 12 years overall in the field of education. After beginning his career as a high school history teacher, he served for a year as Assistant Dean of Students at Morton East High School (Cicero, Ill.) and three years as Dean of Students at Adlai Stevenson High School (Lincolnshire, Ill.). He returned to Morton East for a three-year stint as Assistant Principal before spending one year as Director of Educational Services for Girls and Boys Town in Omaha, Neb. Garcia's most recent assignment has been as Principal at Morton East for three years. He received his bachelor's degree in history from University of Illinois-Chicago, his master's in educational administration from Northern Illinois University, and a doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies from Loyola University. He resides in Elmhurst.

Dr. Tina Fabricino was hired to serve as Principal at Lakewood Falls Elementary School. Fabricino has served for the last three years as the Principal at Fox Meadow Elementary School in South Elgin, and prior to that, completed two years as Assistant Principal at Huff Elementary School in Elgin, another School District U-46 campus. She also has three years of experience as a kindergarten and first grade teacher. Olson received her bachelor's degree in elementary education from AJanuary 29, 2008n from National-Louis University, and recently was awarded her doctorate in curriculum instruction from Loyola University. She lives in Yorkville.

Cathie Pezanoski was tabbed as the district's Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Elementary. Pezanoski joined District 202 last fall and served as the Principal at Eagle Pointe Elementary School for the 2005-06 school year. She has amassed more than two decades of experience in elementary education, including 12 years as a teacher at the kindergarten, first and third grade levels, as well as a stint as a seventh and eighth grade special education teacher. Prior to her arrival at Eagle Pointe, she served as a building administrator at Bureau Valley North Elementary School (Walnut, Ill.), and at Blackstone and Lincoln Elementary Schools in Mendota School District 289. Pezanoski received her bachelor's degree in elementary education from Bradley University and a master's degree in educational administration from Illinois State University. She also recently earned her superintendent's certification from Illinois State. Pezanoski lives in LaSalle, Ill.

Dr. Hilda Rivera was picked as the district's Director of English Language Learners. Dr. Rivera brings with her vast experience at the elementary, high school and college levels. She served as an advisor to the Minister of Public Finance for the Government of Guatemala for four years, and was also a part-time professor at University of San Carlos (Guatemala City) during that time. She moved to the United States and was a bilingual educator at Oak Park Elementary School (Aurora, Ill.) for six years before serving for four years as the District Assessment Coordinator for Aurora East School District 131. Rivera then spent one year as Assistant Principal at Oak Park before moving onto Carpentersville School District 300 as its District Title I Coordinator. Dr. Rivera holds a bachelor's degree from Western College for Women (Guatemala), three master's degrees - in international relations from San Carlos, in Latin American Studies from University of New Mexico, and in teaching from Aurora University - and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from Aurora. She makes her home in Aurora.