• Saint Mary School
  • Buffalo Grove, IL - (847) 459-6270

SAINT MARY SCHOOL BOARD

The Saint Mary School Board consists of men and women who volunteer their time to the school, in an advisory role. These individuals have expertise in varying fields, participate in the school community in many ways, and bring diverse perspectives and vantage points to the Board.

School Board Members Bios

Katie Bright, chair

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Katie joined the school board in 2019. Katie and her husband, Michael, are the parents of two Saint Mary Students, Hannah (class of 2024) and Samuel (Class of 2026). In 2009, Katie and Michael moved to Buffalo Grove, at which time they joined Saint Mary Parish. Katie has been active in volunteering in school activities at Saint Mary School. Katie has a B.A. in Political Science from Simmons College. Katie is an Associate Manager at Public Consulting Group, Inc., where she assists state Child Welfare agencies with maximizing revenue, improving service delivery, and maintaining compliance with state and federal regulations. She brings to the board strategic, financial, and project management expertise.


LISA CARLSON, fso liason

Lisa joined the board as an ex officio member in 2019. She attended St. Norbert College and has her BA with a double major in Psychology and Communications. She worked in Human Resources and sales/recruitment before taking on the role of full-time parent. Presently, she handles HR and marketing for her family company. She and her husband, Bill, have seven children, five of whom are SMS alum -Hayley (2008), Kyle (2010), Katie (2012), Michael (2015), and Mia (2021). Their youngest are currently enrolled - Chad (2022) and Kelly (2023). Being an active member of Saint Mary Parish and a school parent for 20 years, Lisa has experience in many volunteer roles. She is currently the FSO's Vice President of Special Events. She will try to provide a synergy between the two organizations to work collaboratively for the advancement of Saint Mary School as a whole.


Courtney Chianello, Vice-Chair

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Courtney joined the School Board in 2020. She and her husband Jeff are the parents of Jeffery (Class of 2026), Patrick (Class of 2029), and Blake (future Bison!).  They moved to Buffalo Grove in 2010 and joined the parish in 2017 when Jeffery joined Saint Mary School in first grade. Courtney has a B.S. in Accounting from Miami University and is a registered CPA in the state of Illinois.  Courtney has 15 years of accounting experience and currently works part-time as an accounting consultant.

MIKE MURPHY

Mike joined the School Board in 2022. Mike was baptized, confirmed, and married at Saint Mary. His wife Heidi is an active participant in many volunteer positions with Saint Mary, and their sons Thomas (10) and Benjamin (8) go to the school. Mike is the CEO of Epoch IT Solutions, an IT services firm he started in 2020, and brings with him extensive experience in all areas of technology, finance, and business operations.


JENNIFER REE, SECRETARY

Jennifer joined the School Board in 2021. Her family has been a member of Saint Mary Parish since 1983 and she has continued her parishonership into adulthood. Jennifer previously taught CCD at Saint Mary's and is mother to Olivia (Class of 2029). She volunteers with the FSO and runs her father's point of sale company in Rolling Meadows. Jennifer volunteers her photography services to many annual events including golf outings for The Chicago Blackhawks Alumni Association, The Lazarus House, and Chip in for Vets. She brings experience in HR, sales, accounting, and marketing, as well as many years of event/catering planning to the Board.


MARIANNE SUTCLIFFE

Marianne joined the School Board in 2022. She and her husband Mike have been parishioners at St. Mary Parish since moving to the area. They are parents of Isabella (SMS Class of 2028) and Brianna (District 21 Class of 2030). Marianne has been active in volunteering for school activities. Marianne has a B.S. in Finance and Accounting from DePaul University and an M.B.A. in Marketing and Strategy from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. Marianne brings to the Board a 20+ year career in Marketing, Strategy, Finance and Business Management and 3 years of non-profit board experience from The Cute Syndrome Foundation where she is the Secretary.

VINCE VASQUEZ

Vince joined the School Board in 2022. He and his wife Janella are the parents of Fulton (Class of 2026), Xander (Class of 2031), and Vaughn (future Bison!). Their family moved to Long Grove in 2013, and have been active parishioners since. Vince has a B.A. in Psyschology and an MBA from DePaul University. Vince has 14 years of transformation and change management experience.

To contact the School Board, please email:

schoolboard@stmarybg.org

“Together We Will Do Great Things”
Faith - Community - Academics