Lorenzo B. Webber

Board President

Lorenzo B. Webber serves as the Director of Youth Services for the Township of Proviso, Youth Commissioner for the Village of Hillside, Chaplain for the Maywood Police Department, and the founding former President of the Triton College Alumni Association. Mr. Webber primarily serves in capacities centered around positive youth development and community engagement. Mr. Webber has served as a guest speaker at countless elementary schools, high schools, colleges, and universities on topics including, but not limited to anti-bullying, social media safety, drug resistance training, and academic achievement. Mr. Webber's experience includes serving as the keynote speaker for the ECAP (Early College Awareness Program), PATHE (Providing Access to Higher Education), and MacArthur Middle School’s Red Ribbon Week. Since then, Mr. Webber has developed youth programs such as the Strengthening Proviso Youth My Mentor Program, Building Strong Kids Curriculum, and Navigate programming for Proviso Township.

Veronica Bonilla-Lopez

Board Vice President

Veronica Bonilla-Lopez has lived in Melrose Park for nearly sixteen years. She has been a board member of the Board of Education for Maywood-Melrose Park-Broadview School District 89 since 2011 and is the current President. Public service has been central in her personal life, and career. Veronica is an attorney and worked as a criminal prosecutor for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office after graduating law school. She continues her public interest work by representing public sector clients. 

As a first-generation college graduate in a Guatemalan-Mexican household, Veronica understands that education is vital to thrive, and educators are an essential component for success; which is why Veronica is honored to serve as Secretary on the Board of Directors for the District 89 Education Foundation.

Gwaine Dianne Williams

Secretary

Dianne is a long time Maywood resident. She retired in 2015 from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) where she worked in the Office of the Secretary as a Community Liaison and Diversity Recruiter. She was elected as the Maywood Village Clerk (2021) and is the owner and Designated Broker of Service Culture Realty LLC.

Dianne was first elected to the District 89 School Board in 2011 and is the current President. Representing School District 89 at the state level, Dianne is the Resolutions Committee Chair for the IL Association of School Boards, West Cook Division. She works to make sure the District 89 School Board continues to keep the parent perspective a priority when setting goals and policies that guide the District in providing the best education possible to all District 89 children.

The Parent Advisory Committee was instituted under Dianne’s Chairmanship which developed the School Board’s Parent Advisory Counsel which represents all 9 District 89 schools. Along with School District staff and Board of Education members she was instrumental in the development of the District’s first education foundation whose primary purpose is to recruit, scholarship and support students of color in earning a teaching degree.

Jose Villa

Board Treasurer

Vice President & Branch Manager

Jose A. Villa has 20 years in banking, 15 of which have been with Proviso Community Bank, Wintrust. As Vice President of Retail Banking for Proviso Community Bank, his main focus is community banking that involves participating in community events as well as supporting local businesses, organizations and local school districts. Jose also is an active Board Member for the Maywood Chamber of Commerce and is now a proud member of School District 89 Education Foundation. Jose takes pride being in touch with the needs of the communities we serve.

Lajuan “Wanda” Wade

Board Member

Human Resources Manager

Lajuan Wade joined Family Owned and Operated American Mattress as an Accounts Receivable Rep and has been employed with them for the past 24 years.   In this role, Lajuan was responsible for reconciling all financial transaction for each store which was 30-Locations in 1998.  The Management Team recognized Lajuan wanted more responsibility; she was promoted to the Human Resources Department.  Lajuan work as a Human Resources Rep for 24-years and during this time she took the opportunity to increase her skill set; the new position was enjoyable.  Lajuan became the Human Resources Manager for American Mattress in which today she remains.  The Office of Human Resources is responsible for processing new hires, benefits administration, compensation administration and payroll.      

Lajuan graduated from Walther Lutheran High School.  She then enrolled in Triton Community College and the College of DuPage, where she completed 2 years of her education. Though she did not graduate with a degree it did not stop her from being the best she could be in life.

During Lajuan’s time with American Mattress she had the opportunity to work with the Advertising and Marketing Team.   Every 6- month’s new lines up of Mattresses were set up for Marketing.  Lajuan and fellow colleagues would test the comfort and beauty of these mattresses.  Her team assisted in generating strategies and coordinating product positioning on numerous Showroom floors.   Lajuan and her family were chosen to shoot a commercial with American Mattress; which aired 3-Years during all Major Holidays.  Lajuan also recorded audio commercials that aired frequently on numerous radio stations.  

Lajuan and her family believe in giving back to the community. Their heart’s desire is to see all children from their neighborhood succeed.  To aid in this quest, during December of 2008 Lajuan and her husband Denard began a Non for Profit Organization named DLD for Youth.  The Mission Statement is To Assist in Quality Life Choices for today’s Black Youth.

Lajuan is married with Three Sons.  She has Two-Daughter In-Laws and Two-Grandchildren; Family is Lajuan’s Treasure.  She consistently expresses Gratitude to God for the Blessing of a Beautiful Family and she is committed to serving God and helping others.  In her home she’s taught her children to help people when you can, and work to be a Blessing in this Life.  

Pastor Annette Barker

Board Member

Annette Barker aka Pastor Annette in addition to Pastoring, is a Teacher, Mentor, Author, Motivational Speaker, and transformational Coach. 

She & her awesome husband, Pastor Jerry Barker have 3 amazing sons and are the Pastors of the Christian Unity Baptist Church in Bellwood, Illinois. 

Pastor Annette is redefining what it means to be a compassionate, yet strong woman of faith.  Her messages of love, hope, and strength are statistically designed to spread joy, build character, and intentionally tear down barriers that have blocked the connections of cultures, churches, and communities.   

Her passion for serving includes nurturing young mothers and steering the youth.  She firmly believes that implementing moral and spiritual growth in their formative years will instill confidence and equip them to become model citizens and make a great impact in the world both now and in their future. 

As an author, her viral message to her readers has proven to be impactful as it transforms lives for their good and God’s glory.

Pastor Annette’s desire is to inspire.  Her goal is to encourage, enrich, and empower others.  She has a unique way convincing people that the essence of life is not in the great victories and grand failure, but in the simple joys of life. 

She’s an alumnus of School District 89 Irving School and Proviso East High School. 

Tom Olson

Marketing/Visibility Committee & Scholarship & Grants Committee

President, Triton College Foundation

Tom Olson is currently president of the Triton College Foundation Board of Directors. He holds the position of Executive Director of Marketing at Triton College, where he has been employed since 1983; previously serving as Graphic Designer and Director of Creative Services. Tom is a 1970 graduate of Stevenson School (Melrose Park), a 1974 graduate of Proviso East (Maywood), a 1977 graduate of Triton College. He is a parishioner of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Tom is an active supporter of many youth, civic and charitable organizations throughout the area and has received many accolades for his service. To name a few - in 2015 he was inducted into the Triton College Alumni Wall of Fame; received the 2015 Frank A. Mungo Man of the Year Award from the Missionary Sisters of St. Borromeo; 2014 was given the Award of Prestige Person of the Year from the Triton College Student Association; was honored in 2011 at the 19th Annual Triton College Foundation's President’s Reception for public and community

Nathaniel George Booker

Executive Director (Founding Board Member)

Nathaniel George Booker currently serve as Founder & Chief Engagement Officer of Astute Culture (2017) an Organizational & Leadership Development Enterprise. He has served in Executive Hotel Operations and Human Resources for Marriott International and InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG). Prior to starting his own company, he was Area Director in Organizational Development & Performance Improvement for IHG overseeing the brands InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, and EVEN Hotels corporate properties in the Mid-Atlantic region. He is an alum to Thurgood Marshall Math & Science Academy (D88), Proviso West High School (D209), along with Triton College.

As Village President for the Village of Maywood, the Honorable Mayor Booker, also serves on the National League of Cities (NLC) Board of Directors, representing more than 19,000 villages, cities, and towns across the nation. Booker also serves on as Board Treasurer for National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials. With a focus on Metropolitan Chicago, He is a council member with the Metropolitan Mayor’s Caucus (MMC) for the Aging Friendly Communities as well as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committees and West Central Municipal Conference – Illinois Legislative Committee.

As a local community advocate he most recently served on School District 89’s Education Foundation as Board Treasurer, Proviso Township Democratic Organization as former Chairman for Young Democrats of Proviso, Cook County Democratic Party along with Executive Board Member for Cook County Young Democrats and Community Advisory Review Council, Institute of Transitional Medicine (ITM) (consultation to University of Chicago, Rush, Advocate Healthcare, Loyola University, Northshore, and Illinois Institute of Technology) and much more.

ShawnTe Raines

Board Attorney

Partner with Ancel, Glink Law Offices

Attorney Raines gives her time to advise the Board of Directors of the Education Foundation as well as in setting up the non profit and applying for its tax free status. A community advocate for mental health and other issues dear to her, ShawnTe selflessly participates whenever asked to help steer the Board in its policy decisions.

ShawnTe began her legal career as a plaintiff’s attorney handling various personal injury claims involving auto accidents, premise liability, FELA claims, and other general torts. Since becoming a defense attorney, her experience expanded to include defense of civil rights litigation and labor and employment law matters.

ShawnTe currently serves as general counsel for Illinois municipalities and a suburban school district. In such roles, she not only manages litigation but also counsels clients regarding employment decisions, policy-making and ordinance drafting, administrative hearings, collective bargaining matters, contracts, and grievance arbitrations. ShawnTe actively manages cases from inception to disposition inclusive of motion practice, oral and written discovery, trial and appeal in federal and state court. She also acts as retained defense counsel for governmental entities.