D158 Board of Education makes a final selection on filling vacant seat

HUNTLEY — The Huntley Community School District 158 (D158) made an announcement back in October that Board of Education (BOE) member Lesli Melendy was due to resign from her position on the board as a result of her and her family’s move to an area outside of Huntley.

During a special BOE meeting that took place on Nov. 15, board members interviewed five candidates to fill Melendy’s vacancy. Jonathan Dailey was ultimately selected and approved for the role.

Dailey and his family currently reside in Huntley, according to D158, and his children also attend schools in the district.

As for his background, Dailey holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Notre Dame, as well as a bachelor’s degree in business administration and general management from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

“I am passionate about our community and the role our public school system plays in educating our children,” stated Dailey in a press release statement. “A community’s public schools are a mechanism for expressing who we are and who we want to become.”

In addition to his extensive educational background, Dailey has nearly 20 years of experience as a global business executive and currently serves as the chief operating officer (COO) for Flinn Scientific, a leading supplier of science equipment to K-12 and higher education markets.

“We were so fortunate to interview a pool of passionate and dedicated community members for this position and are grateful to everyone who took the time to participate in the process,” said BOE President Tony Quagliano. “We were impressed with both Mr. Dailey’s background as an organizational leader and his enthusiasm to serve our community in this capacity.”

Dailey will be officially sworn in at the BOE’s Dec. 1 Committee of the Whole meeting. He will begin his tenure on the board at that time.