Winners In Oak Lawn-Hometown D123 Board Race: Results

OAK LAWN, IL — All 20 precincts have been counted in the Oak Lawn- Hometown Dist. 123 school board race. Six candidates were running for three open seats.

Jennifer Fortier racked up the most votes, winning a third term with 1,289 votes (24.5%), followed by Ed Smykowski with 998 (19.04%). Adriana Sebak, appointed to fill a board vacancy in 2021, garnered 948 votes (18.09%).

Cook County polls closed at 7 p.m. Early voting and vote-by-mail ballots are included in the total. Provisional ballots and late arriving vote-by-mail ballots are not included, according to the Cook County Clerk's Office. All results are unofficial.

Here are the results for all the candidates in the D123 board race:

• Ed Smykowski, 998 19.04%
• Danielle Mobley, 729 13.74%
• Jennifer Fortier, 1,289 24.5%
• Adriana Sebak, 948 18.09%
• Natasha Miller Williams - 755 14.41%
• Kifaya Naser-Hammad - 531 10.13%

Ed Smykowski is an electrical engineer and the married father of three. He considers safety, resources for learners at all levels, kids learning cohesively in their educational environment and allocating taxpayers’ money appropriately to the district’s most pressing needs.

Danielle Mobley is an attorney with for the Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender’s Office. She highlighted three key issues — student learning and success, school safety and financial equity.

“I feel that the current board failed the district when it comes to bullying and remote learning days," she said. "Specifically, the board needs to hold any allegation of bulling – including an allegation from a student about a teacher – more seriously. Our children should be free to express themselves without fear of being bullied by anyone, especially by a person who they are supposed to trust. As a school board member, I will take the time to investigate the allegation as fully as I can.”

Jennifer Fortier has been involved with Dist. 123 for eight years and has achieved master board status. She is the parents of three children who attend district schools.

Natasha Miller Williams has 25 years of corporate experience. Her children attend D123 schools.

She is currently the Sward PTA president, and sits on the boards of the Oak Lawn Chamber of Commerce and the Children’s Museum in Oak Lawn.

“I bring my experience to bear through thoughtful, practical strategies, understanding that we go further together, that our collective k‬nowledge can lead us to the right answers, and that truly listening is vital to solving any problem,” Miller Williams said.

Kifaya Naser-Hammad is an experienced educator, a Dist. 123 parent, and sits on the district’s curriculum committee and PTSA Board Service.

Adriana Sebak was appointed to fill a board vacancy in 2021. She is a customer service manager for a Fortune 500 insurance company.

"I hope to bring together my professional skills, love of lifelong learning, and commitment to serving my community,” Sebak said. I am a native Spanish speaker, and I am excited to be able to use this skill to further connect with the School District 123 community."