The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) will welcome six new members to its Board of Directors after member schools completed voting for the 2026-27 school term, while two current board members earned reelection.
Voting for the IHSA Board of Directors and Legislative Commission closed at midnight Thursday, October 1, with results tallied and certified Friday morning, October 2.
The election marked a significant change for the IHSA Board following a vote by member schools last November to expand the Board by four seats. Those newly created positions are reserved for a Superintendent, President, CEO or Head of School and are determined geographically through the Illinois Association of School Administrators (IASA) Super Regions.
Four New Superintendent Seats
The inaugural winners of the four newly created Superintendent positions are all Illinois superintendents.
Ryan McGuckin of Pontiac was elected to represent the IASA Northcentral region, while Kevin Skinkis of Riverside-Brookfield won the IASA Northeastern seat.
Brad Skertich of Collinsville was elected from the IASA Southern region, and Daniel Booth of Carbondale won the IASA At-Large Superintendent position.
The four new Superintendents will join two additional first-time Board members.
Eric Matthews, principal at Monmouth-Roseville, won the Division 6 election, defeating Hamilton’s Brad Gooding.
Jack LeGrand, Timothy Christian’s official representative, ran unopposed and was elected to the At-Large Private School position.
Two Board Members Reelected
Two current Board members will return for another term.
Dunlap Principal Katie Cazalet won reelection in Division 4, while New Trier Official Representative Augie Fontanetta was reelected in Division 2.
The complete Board of Directors election results are:
- Division 2: Augie Fontanetta, New Trier
- Division 4: Katie Cazalet, Dunlap
- Division 6: Eric Matthews, Monmouth-Roseville
- At-Large Private: Jack LeGrand, Timothy Christian
- IASA Northcentral Superintendent: Ryan McGuckin, Pontiac
- IASA Northeastern Superintendent: Kevin Skinkis, Riverside-Brookfield
- IASA Southern Superintendent: Brad Skertich, Collinsville
- IASA At-Large Superintendent: Daniel Booth, Carbondale
The new Board will elect its officers for the 2026-27 school term during its regular meeting Wednesday, October 14.
Legislative Commission Also Sees New Members
Several new representatives were also elected to the IHSA Legislative Commission.
Scott Tabernacki of Mount Carmel was elected in District 3, while Shane Darnell of Sandwich won District 5. Kat McCreery of Mundelein High School was elected in District 6.
Tony Millard of Glenbard East won District 7, and Scott Maupin of Wilmington was elected in District 9.
Matt Hensley of Mahomet-Seymour won District 13, while Brian Deadmond of Charleston took District 14.
Teresa Saner of Sacred Heart-Griffin was elected in District 18, and Malcom Hill of Belleville West won District 19.
The Athletic Administrator seats went to Brett Bildstein of Niles North in Division 2 and Nicolas Kearfott of Normal Community in Division 5.
Nicole Ebsen of Oak Park-River Forest was elected to the Division 3 At-Large Minority or Underrepresented Gender position.
Two Legislative Commission positions — District 11 and Division 6 At-Large Minority or Underrepresented Gender — received no nominations and will be filled by appointment from the IHSA Board.
Election Process
IHSA member schools began nominating candidates for the Board of Directors and Legislative Commission on August 15. The nominations were tallied September 16, followed by voting from September 20 through October 1.
The changes come as the IHSA continues to evolve its leadership structure and representation among member schools throughout Illinois.
The newly elected Board members will officially begin their work for the 2026-27 school term following the upcoming October meeting.
The IHSA’s mission is to serve member schools by enriching students’ educational experiences through leadership of interscholastic athletics and activities.
