September Newsletter
Foundation updates as we head into the fall!
Liz Hartke
Dear District 95 Community,
I’m excited to introduce myself as your new Executive Director! I’ve been a proud resident of Lake Zurich for 17 years. My husband, Jon, and I have been married for over 22 years, and we’re fortunate to have three wonderful children who all attended Lake Zurich schools. Our oldest, Reese, is a graduate of LZHS and currently a sophomore at the University of Iowa. Dylan is a senior at LZHS, and Landon is a 7th grader at MSN.
I take immense pride in our community and the exceptional schools that serve our students and families. I am particularly excited about the opportunity to work with the D95 Educational Foundation, as it provides a wonderful platform for collaboration between our community and our schools. Together, we can support and enhance the educational experiences that our students deserve.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any needs or questions you may have—I’m here to help and am happy to help in any way I can!
All the best,
Liz Hartke
Executive Director
District 95 Educational Foundation
Billy Heisler
President, Verdant Tutoring & Coaching Community
Billy is currently the Founder and President of Verdant Tutoring & Coaching Community. Rooted in Lake Zurich, Verdant empowers students with authentic, quality learning experiences in a supportive community. Prior to starting Verdant, Billy taught Science and STEAM at Lake Zurich Middle School North (MSN) for 13 years. In his role as a classroom teacher, Billy helped to develop innovative learning experiences for students including video game creation, robotics competitions, and professional mentors. Outside of the classroom, Billy co-founded and co-chaired a District-wide STEAM event, coached MSN’s FIRST LEGO League team, and coached the boys’ basketball team. Billy was honored with recognitions such as Middle School Teacher of the Year (Technology Education Association of Illinois, 2018), Teacher Excellence (International Technology and Engineering Educators Association, 2019), and Teachers Make a Difference (District 95, 2020).
Alumni Event
We’re excited to join Lake Zurich High School for the Alumni event before the Homecoming game on October 4th! We’ll be providing food and a special gift for the Alumni and can’t wait to connect with such an amazing group of former Lake Zurich students.
We owe a special shout-out to one exceptional alum, Haley Cranstoun! As a member of the LZHS Class of 2020, Haley has been instrumental in helping us revamp our website, and we are incredibly grateful for her efforts. Thank you, Haley, for all your hard work and for giving back! We truly appreciate you!
Foundation grants are awarded for unique educational programs or materials that promote and enhance student learning, inspire new teaching methods, and encourage employee creativity and excellence in teaching. The grants help support activities that enhance, enrich and supplement instructional opportunities for CUSD 95 learners to inspire all students to be passionate, continuous learners and to prepare them with the skills to achieve their goals and flourish as responsible, caring citizens in a global community.
Our First Grant Of The Season
Each Little Learner Will Receive A Book
1. Volunteer for a Committee or the Board
Join a committee or apply to join the Board of Trustees by emailing us about your area of interest.
Committee Roles Available:
- Gala 2025 Committee
- Wizards 2025 Committee
- Golf Outing 2025 Committee
- Donor Relations & Recognition Committee
Email foundation@lz95.org to set up a call to learn more about how you can become involved with the Foundation on a committee or on the Board of Trustees!
