Experience.
Leadership.
Success.
The Candidates
Mark Hineman
Mark Hineman is a longtime local community member who has served on the District 214 Board of Education since 2009. An engineer by profession, he believes in making data-driven decisions but also in the important role that the passion and energy of students and staff play in the continued success of our local schools.
Mark and his family’s ties to education and the local community run deep. He grew up in Des Plaines, attending St. Emily for elementary school and Maine West for high school. He has lived in Mount Prospect since 1979, and his three children attended elementary school in District 57 and went on to Prospect High School. All three are now employed in education.
Throughout this time, Mark has observed with great pride how D214 has become a national leader in high school education, providing phenomenal opportunities for students. As a board member, his goal is to continue to provide the resources and support needed to continue and grow the success story of the district and its students.
Mary Kay Baldino
As a lifelong learner, human resources leader and community builder, Mary Kay Baldino will bring strong business and volunteer experience to the District 214 school board. She currently leads Talent Acquisition at a healthcare company with more than 30,000 global employees. Over the course of her career, she has led multiple human resources teams, taking a people-focused approach built around expertise in equity, change management, data analytics and process improvement. She holds certifications in Strategic Workforce Planning and Lean Six Sigma, and also sits on the Inclusion & Diversity Council at her company.
Mary Kay and her husband, Rich, are 25-year residents of Arlington Heights, with two proud Prospect High School graduates (Rob, 26 and Gee, 21). They chose Arlington Heights for the quality of the education and community resources. Mary Kay is an active member of her church, First United Methodist Church of Arlington Heights, where she has served in many volunteer leadership roles including with PADS, as a refugee mentor, on various committees, in the Church Council and as lay member to Annual Conference. She is an advocate for gun violence prevention and was a founding leader of the Northwest Cook Suburban local group of Moms Demand Action for Gun Violence in America.
In both her volunteer and career work, Mary Kay seeks out opportunities to build a more inclusive environment where everyone thrives. She sees D214 Board work as an opportunity to give back to the district communities, helping new generations of students to prepare for exciting futures.
Vicki Chung
Vicki Chung is a passionate leader with a diverse background in education, development, and community service. background She earned her B.A. and M.A. at the University of Chicago, and then her Ph.D. at Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy. While at Northwestern, Chung gained a strong knowledge of education research, evaluation, and best practices. Professionally, Chung has served as the Director of Corporate/Foundation Relations at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago and as a Quantitative Analyst at an education consulting company. Currently, she is the Senior Estimator at a startup.
Chung’s deep commitment to service inspires her broad-ranging community involvement. For the past eight years, she has served on the District 57 Board of Education, also volunteering as the Board Liaison for the D57 Citizens Finance Advisory Committee. In addition, Chung currently serves on Mount Prospect’s Special Events Commission, where she is the Event Chair of the Halloween and Holiday House Decorating Contests. Previous engagements include serving on Mount Prospect’s Community Engagement Committee, as a Governing Board Member of the Northwest Suburban Special Education Organization (NSSEO), as PTO Treasurer and Committee Chair, and a four-year tenure as Board Secretary of the District 57 Education Foundation.
Across her roles, Chung is committed to prioritizing the needs of the community and continually looks for ways to increase opportunities for partnership and collaboration. She aims to bring this same dedication to the D214 board.
Joseph Sagerer
Joseph (Joe) Sagerer is a lifelong resident of Elk Grove Village who has built his career around education and preparing students for future success. A university lecturer in physics and related subjects, he also mentors undergraduates and is a strong advocate for providing them with hands-on experience.
Sagerer is currently vice president of the District 59 Board of Education, having previously served as board president. He also has served on the D59 curriculum committee, facilities and finance committee, safety and security committee, on the Northwest Suburban Special Education Organization Governing Board, and as delegate to the Illinois Association of School Boards. Overall, his focus on the board has been on upgrading curriculum, improving district data use, expanding early education, and ensuring all students receive the resources they need.
In 2024, Sagerer was named a Harper College Distinguished Alumni for his educational and school board work. He also will be recognized as an “Established” Board Leader by the Illinois Association of School Boards in November 2024.
A proud graduate of Elk Grove High School (where he met his wife, Molly), Sagerer has three children who attend Elk Grove High School and Grove Junior High. He credits his education with giving him the chance to work on marvelous projects, teach wonderful students, and work with fascinating colleagues. He sees school board work as an opportunity to pay back some of what he owes to his teachers and professors. He knows his D214 education built the foundation for his success, and he wants to help provide that opportunity for all D214 students.
