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Harlem UD 122 elects Sterling president, Thompson vice president; board names committee chairs and fills complaint-manager role
Summary
At the May 12 organizational meeting, the Harlem UD 122 board elected Mike Sterling president, Kurt Thompson vice president and Evelyn Meeks secretary for two-year terms, approved the 2025–26 meeting calendar and committee chair assignments, and updated staffing appointments including a complaint manager.
Harlem UD 122 board members elected Mike Sterling president, Kurt Thompson vice president and Evelyn Meeks secretary during the district’s organizational meeting on May 12, 2025.
The vote installed new officers for two-year terms and included an oath of office for newly seated members. The board also approved the 2025–26 meeting calendar, appointed committee chairs for the coming term and confirmed changes to administrative appointments including naming Jason Blum as complaint manager and removing Dan Folkes as an alternate for due-process screening.
Why it matters: The organizational meeting sets leadership and committee assignments that shape agenda priorities, oversight roles and who represents the board in formal duties for the next two years.
The board opened nominations for officers at the organizational session. A nomination for Mike Sterling for president was seconded and carried by voice vote. Kurt Thompson was nominated and approved as vice president; Evelyn Meeks was nominated and approved as secretary. After the votes, multiple board members repeated an oath of office administered at the meeting.
Board members also approved the district’s 2025–26 calendar of board and committee-of-the-whole meetings. The board announced committee chair assignments for 2025–26, naming business services chairs as “Kurt and Aaron,” policy chair as Rebecca, education chairs as Diane McKinney and Diana Johnson, and equity chair as Evelyn Meeks as recorded on the meeting agenda.
The board approved several organizational personnel adjustments and role assignments. The meeting record shows the board added Jason Blum as complaint manager (item added to the agenda as 14A12) and removed Dan Folkes as an alternate on the due-process hearing screening list.
The organizational package was approved in grouped votes after board members confirmed and discussed the changes. The recording secretary announced the newly elected officers following the close of the organizational-election process.
The board closed the organizational portion of the meeting by approving remaining listed organizational items, with no additional separations reported.
The board moved later in the meeting to an executive session on negotiations under 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(2), which is addressed in a separate action on the agenda.
