Steve Murphy manages Media and Marketing Technology for CVS Health. He and his wife have lived in Ward 2 since 2015, along with their two daughters. Steve is a long-time volunteer, coach, lobbyist, and mentor. A St. Louis native and University of Missouri graduate, he first came to the Greater Chicago Area to work in Marketing and Banking with Discover Card, Allstate and TransUnion. Steve enjoys “Dad-related” activities such as watching sports and grilling. He filled a short term position on the Caucus in 2021 and is looking to continue serving on the Caucus again.
Author Archives: LF Caucus Admin
Kent Novit
Kent Elliott Novit moved to Lake Forest in 1990 with his wife Nancy and two daughters, Elizabeth and Caroline. He attended the University of Wisconsin and received his undergraduate degree from Northwestern University. Kent received his Juris Doctor form John Marshall Law School in 1984. In 1990 Kent founded the law firm of Novit & Novit LLC. Kent has been an active member of the Lake Forest Community. He has been involved in Lake Forest government since 2000. He served on the Zoning Board of Appeals for 5 years before serving as the 1st ward Alderman for six years. In addition he served on the Lake Forest School District 67 School Board from 2015 to 2019. Kent looks forward to serving Ward 1 and all Lake Forest residents through his participation on the Caucus Committee.
Tim O’Donnell
Tim, his wife Ashley, and their twin boys moved from Chicago to Lake Forest in 2016. Tim earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Ball State University and a Masters of Science from The American College. Having grown up in the northern suburbs, Tim well understands the impact a close-knit community can have on a family and looks forward to helping Lake Forest continue to improve upon its already stellar reputation.
Tim spent the last 10 years working as one of the original members of a software startup based out of the northern suburbs. Tim was the VP of Sales/Partnerships where he utilized his passion for relationship building. The company was successfully sold to one of the largest RCM technology companies in the US. When he is not spending time with his family, you will find Tim training for his next Ironman Triathlon.
Kris Newman
Kris, along with her husband, Bobby, and their canine companion, Belle, moved to LF in 2015. They have raised two sons; one resides in Ann Arbor, MI, and the other lives in Chicago. Kris graduated from The University of Iowa with a B.S. degree in Education. She has over twenty- five years of teaching experience. She enjoys reading, nature, sports, and traveling. Living in the city of LF is a pleasure, and Kris looks forward to community endeavors that will benefit its residents.
Garth Pearson
Garth Pearson and his wife, Kristin, moved to Lake Forest in 2017 after 21 years in Lake Bluff.
A native of the Pacific Northwest, he graduated from the University of Puget Sound earning degrees in Math, Computer Science, and Information Systems. He first came to Chicago to attend the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. After several years in Boston, Garth and Kristin returned to Chicago living in the city for a couple of years before moving to Lake Bluff where they raised three children who all graduated from Lake Forest High School.
After enjoying all the benefits of the Lake Forest area, he looks forward to giving back to the community and helping ensure Lake Forest remains a vibrant community.
Mark Pickett
Mark Pickett and his family moved to Lake Forest in 2020. Originally hailing from a small town in central Illinois, a sense of community has always been important to Mark. He currently leads a marketing team for an industrial AI company, based in Chicago. He brings deep expertise across different marketing and advertising disciplines, with a focus on breaking down complex challenges and developing clear, straightforward solutions. Mark and his wife Cara have two young children, Charlotte and Connor. A member of the Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Rotary Club, Mark is always looking for ways to serve his community.
Peggy Siebert
Peggy and her husband Eric moved to Lake Forest in 1989 with two children attending St. Mary’s and Lake Forest High School. Peggy was raised in Green Bay, graduated from Ripon College, and worked at Northern Trust in Chicago. At the Junior League, she started and chaired a committee that assisted women in residential treatment centers, and started another women’s treatment program Libertyville. Peggy also worked at Williams Sonoma teaching cooking classes. Peggy and Eric are now grandparents and their daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter reside in Lake Forest. Peggy looks forward to giving back to the community that she loves.
Dale B. Tauke
Dale is a retired attorney. He has lived in Lake Forest with his wife and five children for 35 years. Dale most recently served for six years as a member and Chairman of the City of Lake Forest Legal Committee. Dale also served as a citizen representative on the Finance & Operations Subcommittee of the Lake Forest District 115 Board of Education. He has been very active with the Boy Scouts of America. He also was an AYSO girls’ team soccer coach. He looks forward to continuing his service back to the city with the Caucus.
Jake Weisser
John (Jake) Weisser is the Vice President of Insurance Services at U.S. Financial, Ltd., located in Des Plaines. John provides insurance-based solutions to his clients financial planning challenges, focusing on Long Term Care Insurance, Life Insurance, Disability and Annuity products.
John was raised in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, and is a 2004 Graduate of Marquette University’s College of Communication. John, his wife Agatha, and their two sons moved to Lake Forest in 2017 because it is the ideal place to raise their family.
He is a member of several philanthropic organizations and looks forward to serving his community in Lake Forest by participating in the Caucus Committee.
Janet White
Janet and her family have enjoyed living in Lake Forest/Lake Bluff for the past 28 years. She is a licensed clinical psychologist with her own private practice concentrating in child and adolescence and teaches doctoral students at National Louis University. Raising five children kept her busy with Cub Scouts (three of four sons attained Eagle Scout status and the fourth is nearly there), the Grants Committee of LDA, the School of St. Mary Parent Club, Open Lands, and Catholic Charities. With only two children still at home, she is looking for new ways to contribute to the community.