Darien School District #61 School Board Members
Contact the School Board
Darien District #61 school board members can be contacted at schoolboard@darien61.org.
January, 2026
The Darien 61 Board of Education is seeking a dedicated community member to fill a vacancy following the resignation of Mrs. Dana Pavlu. We thank Mrs. Pavlu for her years of service on the Board of Education, and now invite residents to consider this vital role in supporting our students and schools.
This vacancy is for a member of the board to serve an unexpired 4 year term ending in April, 2029 to replace Dana Pavlu.
Qualifications
A candidate shall, on the date of his/her appointment, be a citizen of the United States of America, 18 years of age or older, a resident of the State of Illinois and the school district for at least one year immediately preceding his or her appointment, and a registered voter. (After the selected candidate’s appointment, it will be necessary for him/her to complete a STATEMENT OF ECONOMIC INTEREST with the DuPage County Clerk.)
Information on Being a School Board Member
Interested Candidates are encouraged to view information about being a School Board Member from the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) with the links below:
Understanding the Board Member's Role
Qualifications and Characteristics of a School Board Candidates
Potential BOE Member Presentation- Interested Candidates are also encouraged to attend the Darien 61 Board of Education's "Potential BOE Member" presentation. This presentation will be held in the Lace School Art Room on January 27, 2026 from 6:00 PM - 6:30 PM.
Application and Interview Process
Residents of Darien Public Schools District #61 interested in applying for the vacancy should submit the following by 3:00 P.M. on Monday, February 2, 2026:
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A completed ONLINE APPLICATION
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A formal letter of interest- Letters of interest should include a brief biographical background as well as work experience.
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An up-to-date resume
The candidate’s letter of interest, resume, and completed application must be submitted electronically no later than 3:00 p.m. on Monday, February 2, 2026 to be considered for appointment to a vacancy.
The BOE will then contact candidates to set up an interview, dates and locations to be determined (the interviews will be held in person, and in the evening hours). After the interviews are completed, the new Board member will be appointed at the next regular/special BOE meeting.
Please contact Jeaneth Mazzocco, Secretary to the Board of Education, if you have any questions.
630-968-7505
Filling Vacancies is guided Per BOE Policy- 2.70
KAREN BUCKELS- PRESIDENT
(Term Ends: April 2029) Karen Buckles grew up in district 61, attending Marion Hills Elementary and Eisenhower Jr. High. Mrs. Buckles attended Hinsdale South High School and continued on to graduate from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a BS in Business Management. Mrs. Buckles left her career in account management in 2013 to dedicate more time to her growing family. Since then, she has been an active volunteer in the community and on the Delay/Lace PTA board for 6 years. Mrs. Buckles and her husband Danny have 3 daughters, Kayla (8th grade), Katelyn (5th grade), and Kendall (4th grade).
Committees: Superintendent Evaluation
ALLYSON RENELL- VICE PRESIDENT
(Term Ends April 2027) Allyson. Renell was appointed by the BOE to fill the unexpired seat due to a resignation from the BOE in 2024. Allyson Renell is a Librarian and manages the Children’s Services Department for a local public library. She has over 20 years of experience working in public libraries, starting when she was in high school and working professionally since 2010. She holds a Masters in Library and Information Science with a Specialization in Services to Youth from the University of Pittsburgh and a BA in History and German from the University of Maine. She lives in Darien with her husband, Brian, and two young daughters who are just beginning their education in District 61.
Committees: Policy, Superintendent Evaluation, Community Engagement
TRAVIS MYERS-SECRETARY
(Term Ends April 2027) Mr. Myers is a community member of Darien 61 and has 2 children that attend Darien 61 schools. Mr. Myers is a Firefighter/ Paramedic in Forest Park, Illinois, and holds degrees in Fire Science and Emergency Management Systems.
Committees: Facilities, IASB Delegate, LEND Representative
GABRIELA CEFERIN- MEMBER
(Term Ends April 2027) Mrs. Cefferin was appointed by the BOE to fill the unexpired seat due to a resignation from the BOE in 2024. Gaby is the Global Business Diversity Manager at McDonald’s Corporation. She started her career at McDonald’s as a Structural Designer in US Restaurant Development (USRD) over 25 years ago. As part of USRD, she designed and managed thousands of restaurants across the US (ground-up construction, major remodels, and initiative deployment). Before joining Global Business Diversity, she worked in Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion supporting the Global DEI strategy and the corporate functions. On a personal side, Gaby is a mom to 2 busy kids and 3 dogs. As a family, they love to travel. In the US they travel by RV and have visited 37 states, and they travel the globe by cruise ship with 12 countries checked off. Gaby is a Founding Mentor and Executive Board Member of Arquitina, a 501(c)(3) organization focused on professional leadership and licensure initiative for Latinas in the field of Architecture. She is a published co-author of “Latinas in Architecture” Volume 1 which was a Gold medal recipient of the International Latino Book Awards.
Committees: Policy, Facilities
KATHERINE (KATIE) FUJIURA- MEMBER
(Term Ends April 2029) Mrs. Fujiura was elected in April 2025.
Committees: Policy, Community Engagement
DANA PAVLU- MEMBER
(Term Ends: April 2029) Dana Pavlu is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker; she earned her Master’s Degree from the University of Chicago. She has 20 years of professional experience that includes counseling adolescents and families, child welfare, juvenile justice fields, office-based medical groups and outpatient hospital programs, providing individual, family and group counseling. Mrs. Pavlu received her undergraduate degree from West Virginia University in Family and Consumer Science. Mrs. Pavlu originally grew up in New Jersey and has been in IL for 25 years, and in Darien for 17 years. She is married to Kurt and has 2 boys (4th & 6th grade) who currently attend D61 schools.
Committees: Insurance Committee, Darien Education Foundation Representative
DR. ANTHONY RAMOS- MEMBER
(Term Ends April 2029) Dr. Anthony Ramos was appointed by the BOE to fill the 4 year unexpired seat due to a resignation from the BOE in May of 2023. He has over 20 years in higher education in various administrative, instructional, and student services roles. Dr. Ramos holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication from the University of Illinois at Chicago, two Master’s Degrees from Loyola University Chicago, in Sociology and Higher Education, and a Doctor of Education Degree in Educational Leadership from University of the Cumberlands.
DR. ROBERT LANGMAN-SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
Dr. Langman began serving as the Superintendent for Darien 61 during the 2020-2021 school year. He has served as an educator for over 20 years, and has held many roles throughout his career. He received his Bachelor's Degree from Elmhurst College and began his career in education as a 4th and 5th-grade classroom teacher in Glen Ellyn CCSD89. While teaching Dr. Langman also served as a differentiation/instructional coach for the district. After receiving his Master's Degree from Concordia University, Dr. Langman then went on to serve multiple administrative/leadership roles. He served as an elementary assistant principal in Benjamin School District 25, as well as an Elementary Principal and Director of Instructional Technology in Addison School District 4. Upon receiving his Doctorate Degree from Aurora University, He returned to Glen Ellyn CCSD89 to serve as Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning before coming to Darien 61. Dr. Langman is married to his wife Jessica who is also an educator.
FRANK BRENDLINGER-TREASURER
Frank Brendlinger has been with the Darien school district since 2017 as accounts payable/bookkeeper. Mr. Brendlinger has held a variety of management positions including Jewel store manager, office manager, and associate minister. Mr. Brendlinger earned his master's degree from Moody Graduate School and a master's endorsement from Concordia University Chicago. When he is not at work he enjoys woodworking or DIY projects around the house. Mr. Brendlinger is married to his wife Jackie and they have two children.