Village President

Village Trustee

Village Clerk

Derek Gau

“Throughout my career I've learned to be a good listener and meet people on common ground.”

I have been a resident of Northbrook for sixteen years. I founded and currently operate Apigrate, a software integration consultancy serving small and medium-sized businesses around the US. I've spent my whole career in IT, first working as a developer at Price Waterhouse, at various startups through the first dot-com boom, and eventually in executive management at a database marketing company located in Sky Harbor. Shortly thereafter we moved our family from the western suburbs to Northbrook.

Caroline Gau and I have been married for 27 years. We have three busy boys: one in the workforce, one in college, and one at GBN. In the community, I coached Park District soccer during my kids' elementary school years. I have a passion for supporting performing arts at GBN, having spent most of the last ten years volunteering in the GBN Band Parents Organization. My favorite pastimes are running, music and astronomy (which is as close as I get these days to using my Physics degrees).

It has been a privilege to raise a family in this vibrant, engaged community. I am interested in the Village Clerk position because I want to give back to Northbrook through civic engagement. I believe the Clerk position offers a great opportunity to facilitate voter registration, meet many of Northbrook's public servants on a person-to-person basis, and continue to learn about and support our Village government.

Park District Board

Mike Goodman

I am Vice President of the Northbrook Park District Board of Commissioners.  I am currently serving my first term as a commissioner having been elected in April 2021.  It has been an honor to serve our wonderful community, and I am eager to continue this work in a second term.

Raised in Northbrook, I’m a proud graduate of District 27 and 225.  After earning a degree in Finance from The Ohio State University, I began my career at BP Products North America, where I served in a variety of sales, marketing, and operations roles during my 12 years there.  During this time, I also earned an MBA from the University of Wisconsin.  For the last 8 years, I have worked at James Hardie Building Products, a global leader in building materials, where I lead the company’s B2B Go-to-Market Strategy as a Director.

In addition to my professional life, I’ve been actively involved in the community.  From 2017 to 2022, I was appointed a member of the Village of Northbrook’s Economic Development Committee and had served as a member of the Communications Sub-Committee.  Additionally, I’m a Board Member of KIDSS for Kids, an affiliate board of Lurie Children’s Hospital, which raises nearly $1M annually in support of the Hospital’s Department of Family Services.  In 2023, I served as Membership Co-Chair.  In 2023, I graduated from Leadership Northbrook, a Northbrook Chamber of Commerce & Industry program designed to prepare individuals for civic leadership roles in the community.

I returned to Northbrook in 2015 with my wife, Lindsay.  Raising our two children, Max (11) and Sydney (8), in our Salceda North home, we are active consumers of Park District Programs, Activities, and Affiliates.  We’ve participated in Adventure Campus, summer camps, basketball, Spartan FC soccer, Northbrook Bluehawk Hockey, Piano, Dance, skating, Northbrook on Ice, and a few others!  Let’s not forget the Family Dance and lazy afternoons at Salceda Park or Meadowhill Pool.

As a lifelong resident of Northbrook, I am grateful for the tremendous resources and opportunities our village has to offer, especially through the Park District.  With that in mind, I believe it’s my responsibility to continue to play an active role in enhancing the long-standing tradition of leadership in innovative programming, financial and risk management, collaborative community partnerships, and environmental stewardship. As I’ve demonstrated in my 1st term as a Commissioner, I’m committed to serving the community’s needs and expectations by establishing and implementing policies and investments that empower our staff to fulfill the mission and vision of the Park District. 

Hamzah Mirza

Hamzah has been a Northbrook resident for many years and is a proud graduate of Glenbrook North High School. As an attorney in the corporate tech industry, Hamzah excels in leadership, negotiation, and strategic problem-solving. In addition to his professional work, he is deeply involved in the community, coaching his daughter’s soccer team and encouraging his children’s active participation in Northbrook Park District programs.

Hamzah is passionate about fitness and considers himself a lifelong student, constantly striving to improve and grow both personally and professionally. His hobbies include staying active through various sports, hiking, and spending time outdoors with his family.

Beyond his local involvement, Hamzah supports global causes such as Humsaaya, a non-profit dedicated to helping Uyghur refugees. He believes in ensuring Northbrook residents receive priority access to Park District programs and facilities and sees sports and recreation as vital to children’s development.

If elected to the Park District Board, Hamzah aims to strengthen community engagement, enhance park offerings, and ensure Northbrook’s parks continue to be welcoming, vibrant spaces for all residents.

Jason Risdon

A lifelong resident of Northbrook, Jason Risdon has deep roots in our community. Moving to Northbrook at the age of seven, he grew up actively participating in the Northbrook Park District’s sports programs, enjoying soccer and baseball. His commitment to the Park District extended into his teenage years, where he served as a camp counselor during summers, fostering a love for community service and youth engagement.

In 2015, Jason returned to Northbrook with his wife, Pamela, and their twin sons, Evan and Jake. As a family, they enjoy spending time outdoors, often found on the golf course or playing pickleball. Jason also enjoys coaching their sons in flag football and baseball. Jason believes in the importance of active, engaged families and the role of parks and recreational programs in enriching community life.

Professionally, Jason has over 20 years of experience in business development, specializing in driving revenue growth and establishing strategic partnerships. Currently a Business Development Manager at Alliance Disaster Kleenup, he has successfully built relationships with key stakeholders and led initiatives that have resulted in significant business growth.

Jason is also passionate about community safety and collaboration, having served on the board of the Lake Cook Regional Critical Incident Partnership from 2010 to 2017. This group, composed of public and private entities, focused on training and preparation for various incidents, enhancing the safety and resilience of our communities.

He is committed to ensuring that our parks and recreational programs continue to thrive, fostering an environment where families can grow and connect.

Library Board

Bryce Budin

Bryce Budin has been a dedicated Northbrook community member for over 10 years, and is honored to have the opportunity to support the important mission of the library and serve the community. As a wife and mother of children at NBJH and Westmoor, she understands the importance of a strong library system in fostering a love for reading and lifelong learning. 

With 20 years of experience as an attorney, Bryce specializes in technology transactions, intellectual property, data security, and generative AI and machine learning. In the early part of her career, her practice focused on patent litigation, representing some of the largest companies in complex multi-patent cases. Bryce received her Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the University of Michigan, and her Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 

Bryce’s experience equips her with a unique perspective on the evolving role of libraries in the digital age, and she is committed to ensuring they remain relevant and accessible to all. Bryce recognizes that the Northbrook library plays an important role in our community far beyond a repository of books. It is a vibrant center of learning, culture, and community engagement. She believes that as a trustee, she can meaningfully contribute to shaping the direction of the library to ensure it continues to serve as a valuable resource for generations to come.

Nimesh Patel

Nimesh Patel and his wife, Vinita Patel, have lived in Northbrook since 2013.  Our twin boys currently attend Glenbrook North High School and we've all enjoyed regularly visiting the Northbrook Public Library over the years and the many amenities available there. 

Nimesh was born in Midland, Michigan and also grew up in southeastern Connecticut, near Mystic.  After graduating with an Electrical Engineering degree from Michigan State University, I worked in technical sales and marketing roles within the semiconductor industry, moving from Dallas to Boston before receiving my MBA at the University of Chicago in 2006.  I’ve focused on product and operational management roles within mid-sized companies. Since 2016, I have been a Director at Convergint Technologies, LLC, a global systems integrator that partners with manufacturers to design, install and service a wide variety of security solutions for enterprise customers.

I currently serve as a trustee of the Northbrook Public Library, after being appointed to fill a vacancy last year.  Listening, reviewing information, and helping make strategic decisions to improve the overall experience for library staff and patrons in our community is something I consider a privilege.

Barbara Unikel

Barbara Unikel has served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Northbrook Public Library for the past four years and would be honored to serve another term.  She has spent her professional career as an educator.  She has been a 5th grade teacher at Willowbrook School in Northbrook District 30, , Principal of South School in Glencoe, District 35, and Assistant Superintendent for Instruction in Northbrook School District 27. After retiring from public education, she became Vice President of Education at The Chicago Children’s Museum.  She currently is a coach/mentor to new school administrators.

Barbara holds a Doctorate in Leadership and Administration from Loyola University and Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from National Louis University.

She has lived in Northbrook for 17 years. She is married to Dr. John Pacay and together they have four children and five grandchildren.

Barbara believes that her educational and professional background enables her to bring a distinctive perspective and skill set as the Northbrook Library deals with current issues and anticipates future needs and wants.

District 27 School Board

Matthew Basinger

I have lived in Northbrook for 13 years with my wife Natalia.  Our three kids (Zach, Alex and Mia) are all either current or past students in District 27.  I am an attorney and a partner in the Chicago-based law firm Shapiro, Cohen & Basinger, Ltd. where I represent accident and injury victims in courts throughout Illinois.    

I was first elected as a District 27 Board member in 2021, and I have been vice president of the Board since 2023.  Since 2023 I have also been our Board's representative to TrueNorth Education Cooperative District 804, of which District 27 is a member district.

I am a passionate supporter of outstanding public schools and it has been my privilege to work on behalf of our community as a volunteer school board member.  I look forward to continuing to work with our administration, board and community to ensure District 27’s long standing tradition of excellence in education. 

Gali Oren-Amit

Dr. Gali Oren-Amit has been a resident of Northbrook D27 since 2009.  She has 3 children. A son who is a junior at Duke University, and two daughters, one who is a senior at GBN and another who is a sixth grader at Wood Oaks. All kids have been a part of the D27 school system. 

Upon graduating medical school, Gali completed her post graduate training in Internal Medicine in Chicago.  Since that time, she has been a Primary Care physician, practicing in our community for the last 16 years, currently working at Northwestern Medicine.

Joining D27 board in 2021, Gali was instrumental in helping our schools navigate through the pandemic. In addition, as a member of the Policy Committee she helps to ensure that our district is aligned with the state’s guidelines, when appropriate, or customizes them to our specific needs. Furthermore, as a board member at large, her key passion lies in advocating for academic excellence while maintaining fiscal discipline. In particular, she takes pride in the ongoing implementation of a data driven approach that led to a marked improvement in nearly all testing statistics post Covid without any additional financial burden.

She is excited to serve another term and give back to the community that supported her family so much.

Marlyse Cohen

As a passionate advocate for public education in Northbrook and a volunteer in D27 for over 16 years, I have a strong history of community involvement. My dedication to District 27 is reflected in my leadership positions, including Vice President and then President of the D27 PTA Council. I chaired the D27 Club 27 fundraising and adult community building initiative for three years. Additionally, I served as Assistant Chair for the D27 Scholarship 5K, council Escrip Chair and contributed as a room parent for ten years. Currently, I am the Vice President of Outreach & Engagement for JUF Chicago Women's Philanthropy, following my role as Director.

Having lived in Northbrook my whole life, I am eager to give back as my youngest child graduates from GBN. I am committed to ensuring District 27 excels and meets our community's expectations. My experience as Council President strengthened my collaboration with district administration and my ability to organize key events.  Professionally, I have over 15 years of experience as Director of Marketing for a privately held industrial PPE company, where I successfully modernized our marketing strategy. As mom of three and head of household, I believe I bring a unique perspective to the Board. 

Dan Walsh

Dan Walsh has lived in Northbrook since 2010.  He and his wife, Sara, moved here from Chicago with their family, partly because of its excellent school system.

Dan and Sara are both attorneys.  Sara is in private practice and specializes in immigration law.  And Dan is an Assistant Public Defender with the Cook County Public Defender's office, where he has worked for 20 years.  Prior to that Dan was an Assistant Appellate Defender with the Office of the State Appellate Defender.  Before law school, Dan was a professional actor in Chicago, working mainly on stage, and was a member of both Actors' Equity and the Screen Actor's Guild, the unions for professional actors in both stage and film.

Dan is looking forward to working on the District 27 School board to give back to his community.  Dan believes he can bring a spirit of cooperation, openness, along with an appreciation of the important roles all stakeholders have in making District 27 the outstanding school system it is.

Originally from Joliet, Illinois, Dan is a graduate of the John Marshall Law School (night student) and Lewis University.

District 28 School Board

DeShawn Arms

DeShawn Arms and her family have been Northbrook residents for 10 years.  The Arms family has 2 children, one currently attending Northbrook Junior High School and one who graduated out of District 28 to attend Glenbrook North High School. She has worked at Abbott for 20 years, and currently serves as a Director, Business Human Resources in their Diagnostics Division. DeShawn holds a B.S. Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University and an MBA from The University of Michigan Ross School of Business.

DeShawn is excited to continue to serve on the District 28 School Board, where she is in the last year of her first term. She has enjoyed the work of the Board, and is very honored to have served during a time when very important decisions were made. During her tenure, the Board hired a new superintendent to lead the District, engaged in negotiations and ratified a bargaining agreement with union representatives for certified staff, and supported the work of our educators that led to two National Blue Ribbon Awards.  DeShawn’s professional background in Human Resources has been an asset to the work of the Board, especially in thinking about the impact of policies and decisions on all stakeholders, and the balance and compromise that is sometimes required. She believes that the current Board and its relationships with the administration and stakeholders has been successful, and she would be honored to continue her work on the Board.  

DeShawn will continue to approach the role in a variety of ways - as a liaison for parents, an advocate for students and teachers and a financial steward of the community’s funds and trust. The most important thing of course, is the education and care of our children. She believes that we can get the best possible educational outcomes for our children, while also building caring, empathetic, well-rounded individuals; this is what sets District 28 apart.  

Beth Bazer

Beth Bazer, Ed.D. has spent two decades focused on improving educational programs, systems, and outcomes for students, teachers and parents in the Chicagoland area. Dr. Bazer has been a member of the District 28 School Board since her appointment in February, 2022. Beth is excited to run for a full term in Northbrook’s next local election and is honored to have been recommended to serve on the school board by the Northbrook Caucus. Beth and her husband, Adam, have lived in Northbrook since 2020 with their two children, who attend Northbrook Junior High. Beth grew up in Northbrook in District 27, graduating from Glenbrook North too many years ago for her own comfort.

Dr. Bazer is an education nonprofit leader at OneGoal, dedicated to supporting the growth and development of secondary school and district leaders in creating and improving equitable structures that help students be successful after high school. Her role at OneGoal follows a position as executive director at Schools That Can Chicago, a nation-wide education nonprofit with offices in Chicago and around the country. Prior to her work in the nonprofit world, she spent fifteen years with Chicago Public Schools, serving as an elementary school principal and assistant principal, and as a middle school teacher on Chicago’s West Side.

Beth holds a B.S. in speech and hearing sciences from Indiana University, an M.Ed. in education from Northwestern University, and an Ed.D. in education leadership from University of Illinois Chicago.

Eve Bloomgarden

Dr. Eve Bloomgarden, MD is a board-certified endocrinologist specializing in thyroid disorders and thyroid cancer. She earned her medical degree from New York University and completed her residency and fellowship training at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. With over 12 years of experience, she has held academic appointments as a clinician educator and served in directorship roles, focusing on thyroid care and endocrine education and innovation.

An active voice against the tide of misinformation and disinformation in healthcare, Dr. Bloomgarden leverages social media and other platforms to educate and advocate for evidence-based practices. Her insights have been featured in prestigious publications, including an article on social media misinformation in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Dr. Bloomgarden currently serves as the Chief Development Officer of Women in Medicine®, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to closing the gender gap in healthcare. She is also the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of IMPACT, a grassroots advocacy organization formed at the start of the pandemic to support healthcare workers and fight disinformation. Through her work with these organizations, she advocates for patients, women in medicine, and healthcare professionals, empowering them to address misinformation and advance healthcare equity.

A sought-after speaker, Dr. Bloomgarden frequently discusses clinical endocrine topics, health misinformation, gender bias in medicine, and physician burnout.

Diana Horwitz

My name is Diana Horwitz, and I am honored to have been recommended by the Northbrook Caucus to serve on the District 28 School Board.  I have 2 children who have attended District 28 schools since 2018 and they currently attend Westmoor and NBJH.

As an immigrant who grew up with parents with limited English language skills, I feel I can bring a diverse point of view to the school board, bringing insight into the challenges that students and families may face.  I know first-hand how important strong schools are to providing opportunities for children, and I have a deep understanding of personal skill sets that are needed to round out their education to prepare them for the future.

After graduating from the University of Chicago, I worked in commercial real estate finance for a few years prior to obtaining my MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.  Since graduating from business school, I have spent my career working in sales and marketing in consumer products and am currently the Head of the North American division of a food manufacturer based in the United Kingdom.  In my current role, I set strategic priorities for my division by making data driven decisions, managing communications and driving alignment amongst people with competing priorities, and finding creative solutions to complex problems.

I am excited at the prospect of helping District 28 achieve its new strategic vision, not only by offering insights to ensure all students are represented, but also by applying my skill sets in strategic thinking, communications, and problem solving to challenges that the school and board may face in the future.