Lockport Township High School Board Members
Meet Your District 205 Board of Education Members
Lockport Township High School District 205 is served by seven Board of Education members who are elected by residents and who volunteer their time to lead our district. Board members serve four-year terms on a staggered basis and must reside in the district. The District 205 Board of Education adopts policies and rules that govern the administration of the school district. The Board operates in strict accordance with Illinois laws and Illinois State Board of Education regulations, and they adopt policy only when members meet in an official session.
The School Board appoints and supervises the Superintendent of Schools, whose job it is to run the day-to-day operations of the school district and to provide educational leadership and vision for administrators, faculty, and staff. Many of you already are familiar with our Board members, but there may be some things that you do not know about them.
W. Michael Petty, President
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Michael Petty, the current President of the Board of Education, has served the district since 1989. He was born in Winfield, Kansas and remained in Kansas until he graduated from college. Mike graduated from Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas and received his master’s degree from Chicago State University in Chicago. He also received his Athletic Training Certification from the Northwestern University Faculty Athletic Training Program. Mike is married to Sharon, a former teacher, and their daughter Kim also teaches Consumer Science.
Mike is a retired Physical Education teacher, teaching in Milwaukee for 12 years and at Stagg High School for 23 years. Mike is also on the Board of Directors of Special Olympics Illinois and has held office in our state and district athletic trainers’ association. In his spare time, Mike enjoys golfing-so much so that Sharon would say that he is addicted to it! Mike’s goals as the Board of Education President are for LTHS to raise the bar for student achievement and still provide programs that will fill the needs of all our students.
James L. Story, Vice President
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James Story, the current Vice President of the Board of Education, has served the district since 1997. He was born in Paducah, Kentucky, raised in Mayfield, Kentucky, and graduated from Morehead State University in Kentucky with a degree and certification in Social Studies. Jim received a master’s degree in School Administration from Murray State University in Kentucky and has completed advanced hours at Chicago State University, Western Illinois University and Northern Illinois University. Jim is married to Janice, a retired LTHS Guidance Counselor, and has three children and five grandchildren.
Jim has been a junior high school principal, a high school Social Studies teacher at LTHS, and the Director of Waterfront Activities at East Bay Camp in Lake Bloomington, Illinois. Jim also coached football and baseball at LTHS, was a teacher at Joliet Jobs Corps through Joliet Junior College and spent some time as a real estate agent for a local company. Jim was a past President for the Joliet Basketball Officials Association and a past member of the Lion’s Club. He is a member of the First Congregational Church, where he has served on the Board of Christian Education, the Board of Deacons, and the Trustees and Mission Board. Jim enjoys watching high school, college and professional sports and any other outdoor activity, including boating, water sports and golf.
Jim’s goals as the Board of Education Vice President are focused on the overcrowding that our students are experiencing at our campuses. He would like to see two relatively equal campuses that would reflect the diversity that we have in our community. Jim would like to see our District continue to offer programs at all sites which meet the needs of every student within our boundaries. He would like to see us continue to offer a strong curriculum for our college and trade school bound students. Since all of these goals require the support of the people in our district, his most immediate goal is the passage of the upcoming referendum to build classrooms for our students.
Michael Lewandowski, Secretary
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Michael Lewandowski, the current Secretary of the Board of Education, has served the district since 1999. Mike was born in Chicago and has lived in Lockport Township since he was 10 years old. Mike has attended Everett Elementary School, Ludwig Grade School, LTHS and Joliet Junior College. Mike is married to Diana, a patent attorney, and he has a 12-year-old daughter who enjoys reading, dancing and playing the violin.
Mike is a bit of a Renaissance Man, having worked in the fast food industry, landscaping, as a shop supervisor at a door company, as a master harp maker and as a realtor. He is very involved in many civic organizations and his hobbies include family activities and public service. Mike’s goal as the Board of Education Secretary is to provide enough space to educate our students.
Susan L. Forbes, Member
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Susan Forbes has served the district since 2005, was born in Joliet and raised in Lockport. Susan attended Kelvin Grove/Central School, LTHS, Northern Illinois University, Governors State University and the National College of Education. Susan is married to James and has one child and two grandchildren.
Susan worked for Will County School District 92 for 35 years and part time at Joliet Junior College and Marshall Fields. She has also been a career consultant and has taught at Lewis University for six years. Susan believes that civic involvement is very important and has been a member of Lockport Rotary, DKG Beta Rho Chapter and Shepherd of the Hill Lutheran Church. In her free time, Susan likes to collect school bells, teddy bears, children’s books and miniature cups. Susan likes to play golf, travel and play cards with her husband whenever she has the chance.
Susan’s goals as a District 205 Board of Education member are to provide adequate facilities for all district students, and innovative programs to prepare students for their future endeavors. Susan would also like to support the continued academic excellence at LTHS and provide a quality education to maintain our property values. Finally, Susan would like to provide an engaging program for students which encompasses academic, athletic, and extra-curricular activities.
Ann Holtz, Member
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Ann Holtz has served the district since 2007, was born in Chicago and grew up in the South Shore neighborhood. Ann attended the Montessori School in Hyde Park, and Whitney Young High School and Washington Community High School in Chicago. Ann is married to Dave, a database administrator, and they have two children, a nine-year-old daughter who loves art and cheerleading and a seven-year-old son who loves baseball and frogs.
Ann began her work career as a tour guide at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. She was also the secretary to the Illinois Lieutenant Governor and a secretary at Homart Development Company (then a subsidiary of Sears). Ann eventually worked her way up to leasing administrator, where she was tasked with drafting and negotiating leases for shopping center tenants. In 1996 she became a Real Estate Manager for GK Development Company and was responsible for managing apartment buildings in Rogers Park. Ann has been a PTO volunteer and is also a member of the Homer Glen Police Department Task Force. When she used to have free time, Ann enjoyed cooking, and scrapbooking and she tries to go fishing and camping whenever possible.
Ann’s goals as a District 205 Board of Education member are to help LTHS reach its full potential in terms of academic success and improve on the District’s current performance. Ann would also like to relieve the overcrowding situation by working with the other board members and administrators to develop a compromise plan for additional classrooms that residents throughout the District can support.
Cindy Polke, Member
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Cindy Polke has served the district since 2007, and was born and raised in South Holland, Illinois. Cindy attended Thornwood High School and earned a degree in accounting from the University of Illinois in Chicago. Cindy is married to Tom, who manages a candy company and they have four sons: Zach and Trent attend LTHS and Austin and Jake are students in Homer 33C Elementary School District. All of their sons play the piano and enjoy a variety of sports, including baseball, golf, tennis, water sports, and snowboarding. Trent plays the drums as a hobby and Zach plays the guitar for the LTHS Jazz Band. Zach and Trent are both on the tennis team at LTHS.
Cindy was an office manager for a public relations firm in California and she worked as an auditor in public accounting before she and Tom began their family. Cindy volunteers her time in local schools and in fundraising efforts for several other organizations, including the Lockport Fish Pantry, S.O.S. Children’s Village and the Morningstar Mission. Cindy represents the Board of Education on the LTHS Foundation and has been a grade school art volunteer/coordinator and youth soccer coach. Cindy enjoys playing tennis and golf and skiing, gardening, reading and travelling.
Cindy’s views her most urgent goal as a District 205 Board of Education member to be obtaining community support to build the new high school. She would like to see LTHS rank among the top 50 schools in Illinois and see every student at LTHS graduate and continue their journeys as lifetime learners.
Charles E. Travis, Member
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Charles Travis has served the district since 1975, was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi and spent his childhood in the Fairmont community of Lockport. Charles attended first through third grade in Mississippi and graduated from Fairmont School District and LTHS. Charles has been married to his high school sweetheart Della for 48 years and they have five children: Charles Jr., Michael Lee, Audrey Lynn, Curtis and Karriann. All of Charles and Della’s children graduated from LTHS and Karriann did not miss a day of school, all the way through college. Della is a retired teacher from Valley View School District and has her master’s degree from Lewis University. Della and Charles helped to open a daycare facility at the Fairmont Community Center and Della is the current director of that facility.
Charles retired from the Fairmont School District as a maintenance worker after 38 years of service and was the first African American man to work there and at the Lockport Township Park District. Charles also managed the Cog Hill Golf Course shortly after he graduated from high school. Charles is a Board of Education member for the Fairmont School District and is a deacon at Christ Temple Church in Joliet. He is also a member of the Fairmont Partnership, which strives to bring economic prosperity to the Fairmont area. Charles is a former coach of the Fairmont Falcons basketball team and he coordinated the flag football and basketball programs at the Lockport Township Park District. He is a member of the Junior Chamber of Commerce in Lockport and the Fairmont representative for the Red Cross Disaster Program. Charles is the chairman of the pastor’s alliance and volunteers for the young peoples’ deacon and missionaries’ deacon programs. He is the chairman of the Richards Street Academy, a childcare program for children at his church. Charles enjoys gardening and playing basketball with his grandsons. He enjoys spending as much time with his family as possible and helping out with church programs whenever he has an opportunity.