Thomas Blanchard, President, has been a corporate attorney since 2001 and is currently working in Accenture’s legal department where he works on international transactions. Prior to Accenture, Tom practiced law at a large Chicago law firm, a global healthcare company and financial regulatory organization. After graduating from Glenbrook South in 1991, Tom earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Northwestern University in 1995, and a law degree from the University of Michigan in 2001. Tom was raised in Glenview, and after living downtown and in Evanston, he moved back to Glenview in 2016 with his wife, Michelle, and two young daughters. Tom moved back to Glenview to be closer to family and so his daughters could attend Glenview’s amazing public schools and grow up in a wonderful community. Tom serves on the Building & Grounds Committee and also serves on the Budget & Finance Committee.
Sara Spitz, Vice President, taught Kindergarten and First Grade in Tampa, Florida and Chicago Public Schools. She was a Reading Coach in CPS. Currently, she is employed by the University of Chicago as a Literacy Professional Development Provider for schools throughout the United States. Sara was born and raised in Florida and attended the University of Central Florida, earning a degree of Early Childhood Education. She moved to Chicago more than ten years ago, living in several neighborhoods in the city. She has a degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Graduate Certificate in Applied Educational Neuroscience from Butler University. Sara moved to Glenview with her husband, Jared, and dog, Izzy, in 2021. The first place she visited was the Glenview Public Library and enjoys the events, resources, and community that it provides in her new hometown. Sara is a member of Greener Glenview, is a Glenview TreeKeeper, and loves spending time in nature, especially in our local area. Libraries hold a special place in her heart, and she has fond memories of going to her local library with her family.
M. David Johnson, Secretary, having been a resident of Glenview for fifty-one years, is proud to note that his original Glenview Library Card is well-worn but still working. He holds a BS degree in Engineering, and an MBA degree, both from the Illinois Institute of Technology, and also an MS degree in Computer Science from Northeastern Illinois University. In 1997, he retired after a 27-year career as a Professional Engineer with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. He then spent an additional 10 years as the sole proprietor of BDS Software, an IT consulting firm here in Glenview. Now fully retired, David and his wife Heather have two grown children and five grandchildren. He spent many years as a volunteer coach with Glenview Youth Baseball and Glenview Youth Hockey. He is past President of the North Shore Illinois chapter of the National Society of Professional Engineers, and past Chairman of the Maine Township Planning Commission. Dave serves on the Bylaws & Policies Committee and chairs the Building & Grounds Committee.
Kathy Davis Vega, was born and raised in Glenview. After graduating from Glenbrook South in 1991, she earned a bachelor’s degree from Duke University in 1995, and a law degree from Northwestern in 1998. She has practiced law for the past twenty plus years and is currently Senior Legal Counsel at Accenture. She moved back to Glenview in 2003 with her husband, Dio, because she loves this community. She and her husband have been raising their two girls, Kendall and Kelsey, in her hometown, and she was looking for a way to give back to Glenview. She loved the Library as a little girl and has enjoyed seeing her own girls use it as they have grown. Both her parents served as Library Trustees and she felt that honoring this legacy by serving as a Trustee would be a great way to serve Glenview and help maintain a wonderful community resource. She is passionate and committed to ensuring that the Glenview Public Library maintains its incredible facility, programming, and level of service, while remaining a place that her family and all community members can enjoy at every stage of life. Kathy Vega serves on the Bylaws & Policies Committee and chairs the Strategic Planning Committee.
Ruth Rosenblum, moved to Glenview in May 2020, after 30 years in San Jose, CA. She and her husband Barnett moved from California to be closer to their two children. Jason and his wife Becky live in Lincoln Park, he works in the financial tech industry and Becky teaches at GBN. Hannah, also age 28, lives in Washington DC and works for the US Census Bureau as a geographer. Ruth has been a nurse and Advanced Practice Registered Nurse for nearly 40 years. She is an Associate Professor at The Valley Foundation School of Nursing at San Jose State University. Ruth teaches in the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner program at Rush University with experience in pediatric neurology and the High-Risk Infant Follow-up Program. She recently started to ‘sub’ as a school nurse in District 34. Ruth and Barnett like to bike, go to the Botanical Garden, and Ruth is training for the Chicago Marathon in October 2022. Both of Ruth’s parents were Library Board members in Cleveland Heights, OH, where she was born and raised, and her brother is now a library trustee in Gwinnett County, GA. Libraries are a family affair! Ruth serves as the Legislative Liaison and serves on the Strategic Planning Committee.
Jeff Rowitz is a retired Certified Public Accountant with 37 years of experience in public sector finance and management. The last 25 years of his career were spent with the Village of Northbrook where he last served as Deputy Village Manager and Chief Financial Officer. Jeff was also an appointed Trustee and Treasurer to both the Northbrook Police and Firefighter Pension Funds, which administered and managed more than $100 million of combined assets. In January 2020, he was appointed by Governor Pritzker to the transition board for the Illinois Firefighter’s Pension Investment Fund (IFPIF) which was created to consolidate approximately $6 billion of assets from 296 suburban and downstate firefighter pension funds. The goal of this legislation was to improve investment returns, eliminate unnecessary and redundant administrative costs, and reduce the burden on local taxpayers. After the initial one-year appointed term, an election was held in December 2020 and Jeff was selected by Mayors and Village Presidents throughout the state to serve as a municipal trustee. Jeff was a long-term member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Illinois CPA Society, Government Finance Officers Association, and is a Past President of the Illinois Government Finance Officers Association (IGFOA). He also served as Chair of the IGFOA Technical Accounting Review Committee and was an active participant on the Northwest Municipal Conference (NWMC) Legislative Committee for 10 years, where he reviewed and analyzed proposed legislation and provided technical support to NWMC staff on matters related to municipal finance. Jeff has lived his entire life in the Chicago metropolitan area and has been a Glenview resident since 2015.
Carol A. Schmitt has been a resident of Glenview for 47 years. She is currently retired from 25 years of teaching at the Glenview Community Church Nursery School and over 45 years as comptroller for a small business. She has an extensive volunteer history in this community, most notably as an elected member of the District 34 School Board. This service has given her a good understanding of her role as a board member. Her belief in the mission and goals of the Glenview Public Library originate from her experience with the Youth Services Department and the many services it offers. Before being elected as a Library Trustee, she was a volunteer Storytime presenter for four years. She is calm, thorough, welcoming, and steadfast in her desire to see the Glenview Public Library continue to be the best it can be. Carol Schmitt chairs the Bylaws & Policies Committee and serves on the Strategic Planning Committee.
