Our not-for-profit foundation is led by a dedicated group of community leaders and educators, committed to building a foundation that serves all children and all families in North Chicago. Together this group of directors has decades of service in both elementary and college level educational leadership, community organizing and management.
Board of Directors
Dora King
President
Mrs. King has spent most of her adult life in North Chicago. She has married a North Chicago graduate, and all three of her children are North Chicago graduates.
Mrs. King has dedicated countless hours to serving others in North Chicago. Her volunteerism includes 10 years as chairperson of the state appointed Independent Authority, overseeing District 187. Additionally she has served as a Director at Large on the Lake County Division Executive Committee of the Illinois Association of School Boards, and on the Select Committee of the SEDOL Governing Board. Her volunteering has extended into the community through her leadership of the Womens’ Auxiliary from 2009-2012 and as a member of the Lakeshore Baptist District Association.
Professionally, Mrs. King served as project management professional for AT&T for over 11 years and as a trainer and supervisor at Abbott Labs for 14 years. Mrs. King retired in 2008. Mrs. King has received degrees from Loyal University, College of Lake County, and Waukegan Township High School. Her passions include singing and music, and of course, her two great granddaughters.
Dr. Sylvia Johnson-Jones
Vice-President
Dr. Sylvia Johnson Jones is an educator, leader, mentor, coach and philanthropist. Sylvia is the Executive Director of Career and Job Placement Center, a work-based learning and workforce solution division at the College of Lake County. She has also worked as an adjunct professor at College of Lake County in Adult Education. Dr. Johnson Jones has worked in workforce, training and education for nearly 30 years.
Sylvia has presented on various workforce and career topics at various conferences, locally and regionally. Dr. Johnson Jones is published in a book, which includes narratives on modeling, mentoring, and other mothering. Sylvia is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and CEO and Founder of SMJ Scholarship Fund and Shining Stars. She provides scholarships for deserving youth at North Chicago Community High School to aspiring graduating seniors to further their education.
Dr. Johnson Jones believes in community. She serves as a board member on the Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center , a board member of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce, a board member of the North Chicago Community High School- District 187 and a board member of the Waukegan Township – Coalition to Reduce Recidivism. She is also the CEO and founder of SMJ Scholarship Fund and Shining Stars.
Read More
Dr. John P. Price
Director
John Price is a career educator who began teaching on the near west side of Chicago in a Catholic elementary school. John started as a volunteer teacher and the school used his salary to provide tuition scholarships for children to attend the school. Seeing his work as a service to the community has continued throughout his 25 years in education.
John often says that the best job in education is the principalship. He served as the principal of Audubon Elementary School, a Chicago Public School, for 5 years. Before leaving Audubon in 2011, the school earned the distinguished Blue Ribbon Award for Excellence from the US Department of Education in recognition for outstanding improvement of student learning. After leaving Audubon, John moved into district leadership for Chicago Public Schools. He served as a regional superintendent, supervising elementary and high schools for three years before leaving to become the Assistant Superintendent in Evanston, also for three years.
John has been the superintendent of the North Chicago Schools since July of 2017. In the last four years John has focused on stabilizing the district’s leadership and implementing aggressive instructional improvement initiatives focusing on our youngest learners. In addition, over the past four years the district has seen improvements in teacher retention, high school graduation, and the district has run a budget surplus each year. Working with a group of dedicated volunteers, John has helped to found the North Chicago Public Education Foundation, a not-for-profit organization with a goal to send every graduate of NCCHS to college without cost.
A California native, John has lived in Chicago since 2001 with his wife, Cheryl, and two children, ages 18 and 15.
Oscar Hawthorne
Director
Oscar Hawthorne is Deputy Superintendent for North Chicago Community School District 187 in North Chicago, Illinois where he supervises all principals and school operations. He has 31 years of public education experience including serving as principal at three suburban Chicago schools: Streamwood High School, Evanston Township High School, and Proviso West High School. Oscar earned his undergraduate degree in Social Studies Education from Kentucky State University (B.A.), graduate degree in Educational Administration from Governors State University (M.A.), and a specialist degree in Educational Leadership (Ed.S) from Northern Illinois University. He is a proud father to two adult children and a native of Flint, Michigan.
