News Briefs: Wilmette’s Adler — ‘one of the best’ — to retire; administration changes at New Trier and District 112

The Village of Wilmette’s longtime Community Development Director John Adler is retiring at the end of April.

Adler held the position for 32 years, and Village Manager Mike Braiman said in a statement that he is one of the best in the business.

“John is widely regarded as one of the best urban planners in Illinois, and the Village is incredibly fortunate to have had him guiding our community’s land use planning,” Braiman said in a Village news release. “Wilmette is a vibrant and desirable community because of John. John will be missed by all those in the Community Development Department, Village Hall and the community. We wish him the best in his retirement.”

According to the Village, Adler began as an urban planning intern for the Village of Wilmette in 1986, returning three years later as a senior planner. He became the community development director in 1998.

Adler, though, left Wilmette for Mountain Village, Colorado, for which he held a similar position between 2006-2008, before returning to Wilmette where he served for the last 16 years.

Adler was at the helm for a downtown-Wilmette revival, as well as the milestones such as the opening of Wilmette’s first hotel (Marriott Residence Inn) and Wayfair’s first brick-and-mortar location.

The Village says in the release that Adler is a champion of affordable housing and historic preservation, leading to the establishment of Cleland Place, an affordable housing development, and the Village’s first affordable housing land trust, as well as the preservation of the Mallinckrodt building and the Masonic Temple — both of which are now residential buildings.

Adler, in the release, passed on credit to others at Village Hall.

“Over the past 32 years, I have been incredibly fortunate to work alongside a dedicated and professional team,” he said. “The outstanding staff in the Community Development Department, along with the entire village workforce, have been instrumental in Wilmette’s many successes.”

He also thanked Braiman and the Village Board for their support of his efforts.

“Wilmette is a truly special place, and I will greatly miss being part of such a wonderful community,” he said.

Emily Egan will be Wilmette’s new community development director. Egan will come to Wilmette via the Village of Oak Park, where she was the development of services director. She previously worked for the Village of Brookfield and City of Elmhurst, as well, and is the president-elect of the American Planning Association’s Illinois Chapter.

“I’m honored to serve the vibrant and historic community of Wilmette and thrilled to begin working with the outstanding staff and community volunteers to advance the Village’s key land use initiatives,” Egan said in a village release.

Administrative changes at New Trier

The New Trier High School Board of Education recently approved a trio of administrative changes that will take effect on July 1.

Dr. Chimille Tillery will take over as assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, replacing superintendent-to-be Dr. Peter Tragos. Additionally, Dr. Nashwa Mekky was hired as the district’s chief human relations officer and Dan Paustian as associate principal for the Northfield campus.

According to a district press release, Tillery has served as New Trier’s director of curriculum and instruction since 2018, overseeing professional development, new teacher induction and mentorship, student teaching, and testing.

Previously, Tillery was assistant principal at Highcrest Middle School in Wilmette and a science educator at Homewood-Flossmoor High School, Simeon Career Academy and DuSable High School.

Mekky, who is replacing Dr. Renee Zoladz, reportedly has 26 years of experience in human capital management and instructional leadership and is currently the chief people, equity, culture and ethics officer at Illinois Math and Science Academy.

Mekky previously was principal of Howe Elementary School in Beach Park, associate principal at Caruso Middle School in Deerfield, and an elementary teacher in Arlington Heights and Chicago.

Paustian has been New Trier’s assistant principal for the 2027 Graduating Class Team since the creation of the program in 2023. In that role, according to New Trier, he oversees student services, the adviser program, attendance, discipline and restorative practices and serves as a key leader and resource for students, families, and staff.

He is taking over for Gail Gamrath, who will retire on June 30.

Leadership changes at District 112

North Shore District 112 is promoting two of its administrators.

Dr. Michael Rodrigo was approved as assistant superintendent for teaching and learning, and Rachel Filippi will be the executive director of personnel services. The promotions go into effect on July 1.

“This is a truly exciting new chapter for our district,” Superintendent Dr. Mike Lubelfeld said in a press release. “Dr. Rodrigo and Ms. Filippi have consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership, both as principals and within our district office. Their vision and dedication will reinforce our commitment to two core pillars: advancing academic excellence for our students and cultivating a positive, collaborative culture among our staff. I am confident that, with their guidance, our district will continue to innovate and achieve success for every student for years to come.”

According to the district, Rodrigo served as Wayne Thomas Elementary School principal for six years before becoming the director of personnel services in 2024.

Filippi joined the district office as student services coordinator in 2024, following five years as principal of Sherwood Elementary School, the district says. She began her career in education as a special education teacher before serving as an assistant principal and principal in Deerfield and Wilmette.

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