Candidates for 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.