Meet the Candidates: Avoca District 37 Board of Education, 6 for 4 seats

JUMP TO: Dan Seals (i) | Carolyn Cole | Jared Branahl | Yoav Sharon | Lauren Rivera-Haire | Gil Gibori (i)
(i: incumbent)

Six candidates, including two incumbents, are competing for four open seats on the Avoca District 37 Board of Education. A third current board member, Yoav Sharon, who was appointed in 2024, is running for a full term.

Below are basic profiles of the six candidates, each of whom submitted a digital form upon request from The Record. The order they are presented was selected at random.

These profiles are just one layer of The Record’s election coverage and are meant to provide community members with basic information about those running for public office. Prior to the election on April 1, The Record will also conduct and publish independent interviews with the candidates.

Name: Dan Seals

Residence: Wilmette

Professional experience: Consultant

Community experience/involvement: I won as a write-in candidate for the Avoca School Board three years ago. I became board president this year.

I recently served as the CEO of Intersect Illinois, a public-private partnership that is the business attraction arm of the State.

Why are you running for reelection to this public office?

I am running for three reasons. First, I want to strengthen academic achievement for students of all levels. We are already a great school district, but there is more we can do to educate our students. Second, I want to improve the social and emotional health of our students so they learn more effectively. Kids can’t learn if they don’t feel comfortable in school. Third, I want to achieve the first two goals in a fiscally responsible way. Avoca spent years running deficits. We’ve achieved budget surpluses the last three years. I want to keep it that way.

Name: Carolyn Cole

Hometown: Wilmette

Professional experience: Owner, Take Flight Spirits Distillery

Community experience/involvement: I’m the mother of twin fifth-graders at Avoca West, a small business owner, and a 12-year resident of the district.

Why are you running for this public office?

As a longtime resident of the district, and a parent with an active stake in maintaining the quality of education available to our students, I am looking forward to taking a more active role in the community. My children have benefited greatly from their time at Avoca West, and I want to do all I can to ensure that the district remains the inclusive and welcoming place I know it to be.

Name: Jared Branahl

Residence: Wilmette

Professional experience: Teacher/librarian

Community experience/involvement: I coach basketball and soccer with the Wilmette Park District. I organized/captained the “Avoca Dad’s” team at the Wilmette Cup soccer tournament. I began taking a closer interest in the work of the board during the vacancy appointment process last April.

Why are you running for this public office?

I am proud of our school district, and I want to do my part to support strong public education. I have nearly two decades of experience working in schools, which gives me unique insight into the work. I am running for the school board because I want voters to see a ballot that is full of highly qualified candidates who are ready to represent them.

Name: Yoav Sharon

Residence: Glenview

Professional experience: Engineering manager

Community experience/involvement: As an Avoca 37 board member since May 2024, I have advocated for making long-term financial plans, researching different options when considering facility improvement, and responding to community input. Before joining the board, I was heavily involved in the Vote No campaign during last year’s referendum.

Why are you running for this public office?

I am running for the school board to maintain the academic level of our schools, make sure they stay welcoming for our students, and ensure our facilities are up to date, while limiting the tax burden on our community.

I believe I can leverage my experience as an engineering manager, which requires me to come up with simple solutions to complex problems, brainstorm ideas in a group setting, compare options based on agreed metrics, and set measurable goals for myself and my team.

I also want to bring the voice of community members, parents and non-parents alike, into board decisions.

Name: Lauren Rivera-Haire

Residence: Glenview

Profession: Human resources

Community experience/involvement: I started with volunteering for smaller events such as the annual Halloween classroom parties and then larger events such as Fun Fair. I wanted to become more involved, and now I am currently finishing out my term as the Parent Teacher Council director of communications.

Why are you running for this public office?

Strengthen community engagement, retain our teachers, and navigate change in education. We also need to focus and take action on facilities.

As a parent, HR professional, and volunteer, I’ve seen the importance of connection, transparency, and retention. With only 21% of households having students in our schools, we must foster trust, create involvement opportunities, and support our educators.

I also value diversity and fully support our inclusive curriculum. As policies shift nationally, we must uphold a learning environment that respects all students. I’m committed to keeping Avoca strong by ensuring every child thrives while building trust, transparency, and community engagement.

Name: Gil Gibori

Professional experience: Education entrepreneur with over 20 years developing innovative academic support models to better serve K-12 students

Community experience/involvement: I have served on the Avoca School District 37 Board for eight years, currently as vice president. I also serve on education-focused nonprofit boards, including Hyde Park Day School and the Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School, and volunteer with the Red Cross Disaster Action Team and other community-based educational organizations.

Why are you running for reelection to this public office?

Simply, there is still work to be done. I plan to continue advocating for strong fiscal management — prioritizing investments for our future, educational innovation, and an equitable access for all families, regardless of financial status. In my tenure, we have stabilized finances after a decade of deficits, strengthened administrative leadership, and improved community engagement. Yet, challenges remain in all three areas. As the senior board member, I aim to provide continuity while driving creative solutions. I’ll leverage my experience to ensure thoughtful, balanced leadership. I remain committed to strengthening our community engagement and stewarding the community’s investment in Avoca.

The Record is a nonprofit, nonpartisan community newsroom that relies on reader support to fuel its independent local journalism.

Subscribe to The Record to fund responsible news coverage for your community.

Already a subscriber? You can make a tax-deductible donation at any time.