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Yannick Koger
Board President
Term expires in 2027
ykoger@ccsd89.orgYannick Koger and his wife have three girls who attend Arbor View Elementary and Glen Crest Middle School. Koger has participated in the Arbor View PTC and the district’s strategic plan committees. He also helped with the district’s referendum campaign in 2018. These experiences encouraged him to look for more opportunities to serve the local educational community.
Koger grew up in Virginia and double-majored in marketing and neuroscience at The College of William & Mary. He is now a marketing analytics consultant for Meta Platforms Inc., and helps coach his daughters’ soccer and volleyball teams.
Steve Neurauter
Board Vice President
Term expires in 2029
sneurauter@ccsd89.orgSteve Neurauter has served on several CCSD 89 advisory committees since moving to Glen Ellyn in 2016 with his wife and three children. He volunteers at Park View Elementary for school events and through the Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) program.
Neurauter earned his bachelor's and master’s degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, then a Master of Business Administration from Leeds University in the United Kingdom. Neurauter works for his business strategy and engineering consulting company, PMB Consulting, advising the federal government, small businesses, and large companies.
Scott Pope
Board Secretary Pro Tem
Term expires in 2027
spope@ccsd89.orgScott Pope was elected in April 2015 and re-elected in 2019. He has been active in a variety of PTC-sponsored events and as a parent volunteer at Westfield School.
Pope has earned a degree in electrical engineering and an MBA. He is the manager of building maintenance for Argonne National Laboratory.
Lyndsay Cowles
Board Member
Term expires in 2029
lcowles@ccsd89.orgLyndsay Cowles comes from a family of educators, so she is excited to contribute to her community’s schools as a member of the Board of Education. She and her husband have lived in the CCSD 89 area for seven years. Their daughter attends Park View Elementary School, where Cowles was part of the PTC.
Cowles has worked for more than 20 years as a teacher, administrator, and district leader. She is currently the Senior Director of Academics for the Noble Network of Charter Schools.
She earned her PhD in education from Indiana University.
Jessica McGee
Board Member
Term expires in 2027
jmcgee@ccsd89.orgJessica McGee has worked as a school psychologist at the elementary and secondary levels since 2007. She is currently a school psychologist in West Aurora School District 129, where she supports students’ social-emotional learning and academic progress.
McGee and her husband Drew have lived in CCSD 89 since 2014. They have two children in elementary school and a daughter who will start kindergarten in the 2023-24 school year.
McGee has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago; a master’s degree in educational and psychological foundations and an educational specialist degree in school psychology from Valparaiso University; and a master’s degree in counseling from Northeastern Illinois University.
Ariel Steffens
Board Member
Term expires in 2029
asteffens@ccsd89.orgPrior to running for the Board of Education, Ariel Steffens served as the secretary and treasurer for the Arbor View PTC.
She and her wife live in Glen Ellyn with their three children who attend Arbor View Elementary and Glen Crest Middle School. The family stays busy with band, basketball, cheerleading, chorus, Dungeons and Dragons Club, and the Inside Out Club at school.
Steffens earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Illinois and a master’s in marketing from DePaul University. She currently works in sales strategy for Good Foods.
Laura Wilmarth Tyna
Board Member
Term expires in 2029
lwilmarth@ccsd89.orgLaura Wilmarth Tyna loves education and loves learning. She is the Director of Community Engagement and Experiential Learning at Lewis University. In that role, she often works with schools around community-engagement issues.
She and her husband have two children who attended Briar Glen Elementary School. They are now students at Glen Crest Middle School and Glenbard South High School.
Wilmarth Tyna frequently volunteered in her children’s classrooms. She also served on the committee that helped write the district’s current strategic plan.
Wilmarth Tyna earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois and a graduate degree in Maryland. She is completing her doctorate in education from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
Emma Waldbusser
Student Board Member
Even when she was a student at Park View Elementary School, Emma Waldbusser was already interested in the Student Board Member program. She remembers reading about the district’s first Student Board Members and participating in the Penny Wars fundraiser that was organized by Student Board Members.
Now that her opportunity has arrived, the 13-year-old views this position as a unique opportunity to represent students while also helping her classmates learn more about their district.
“I’ve always wanted to help,” she said. “I’ve looked up to our Student Board Members and I think it’s a great program.”
At Glen Crest, Waldbusser has been involved in Builders Club, cheerleading, choir, cross country, orchestra, Student Leadership Coalition, and track and field. Outside of school, Waldbusser plays travel softball and is active in her church’s youth groups.
Glen Crest literacy teacher Meghan Riley said Waldbusser stands out for her thoughtfulness in her academic work and personal relationships.
“Whether it is going the extra mile to help a struggling classmate or checking in with me to see how I’m doing, she consistently demonstrates a deep sense of empathy and care for those around her,” Riley said. “I have no doubt that Emma’s exemplary character and strong work ethic will make her a valuable member of the CCSD 89 school board.”
When she gets older, Waldbusser would like to be a pediatric nurse.
Brooke Wills
Student Board Member
Brooke Wills believes the Student Board Member position is an opportunity to develop her leadership and public skills. But most of all, she sees this as a chance to give a voice to all CCSD 89 students, from kindergarten to eighth grade.
“I am passionate about doing what is best for the school and community,” Wills wrote in her student board application. “I have always been outgoing and good with talking to people, especially adults. I would love to put that to use and be helpful to the district.”
Glen Crest science teacher Maggie Moran praised Wills’ kindness and inclusivity. Wills is a friend to everyone she meets, Moran said.
“One of Brooke’s most outstanding qualities is her unwavering commitment to being a positive role model for her peers,” Moran wrote. “Brooke demonstrates exceptional integrity and moral courage, standing up for what is right even when it is not the popular choice. Her principled stand and ability to lead by example inspire those around her.”
Outside of school, Wills, 13, is heavily involved in travel softball – both as a player and mentor to younger players. She also volunteers at an animal rescue and babysits for other families. She was a student patrol member at Westfield Elementary School.
As an adult, Wills would like to be a counselor or therapist who works with children.
