Email Mark

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.

Email Charles

Charles Stephens was born and raised in Lake Forest, and moved back in 2020 with his wife Kate and children Mary and Charlie who are at DPM and Sheridan, respectively. After graduating from LFHS, he earned a BA from Northwestern University and later returned to earn an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management. During his early career in consulting with A.T. Kearney and Ernst & Young, he moved to the Bay Area for 6 years and later joined the Gap’s e-commerce division, kicking off a new career in tech. Moving back to Chicago in 2007, Charles held a variety of roles with startups and established companies in e-commerce, marketing and transportation. Most recently, he owned Zipcar’s Chicago market, was an executive at Lyft and is currently the SVP & General Manager of Future’s coaching business. Now back in Lake Forest, Charles is looking to give back to the community that shaped who he is so that his children may benefit from the same strength of community he did.

Email Janet

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.

Email Alex

Alexander Wilcox, M.D. is a biology professor at Lake Forest College. He started his career at Brown University in 2010, and continued at Providence College in Rhode Island. Alex grew up in northern suburbs of Chicago, and has lived in Lake Forest for 12 years. His scientific research has focused on the effect of protein structure on various cell processes, as well as the chemotherapeutic role of sulforaphane. Alex is married with three children, who all attend Lake Forest County Day School. He loves the small town feel here in Lake Forest looks forward to serving Lake Forest as a Caucus Committee member.

Email Desiree

Desiree Witte is interested in serving on The Caucus of Lake Forest. She believes she can add value to this Board given her diverse background. Previously, she has volunteered her time on The Center for Excellence in Education, Role Models and Leaders program, The LASIC committee, various roles for the APT including President, VP of Donor Relations for The Spirit of 67, and VP of Donor Relations for The LFHS Foundation. She and her husband have enjoyed raising their four children in Lake Forest public schools over the past 18 years. Additionally, she has her MBA and Master of Education both from Northwestern University. She spent almost 10 years working in the City of Chicago for a condominium developer in a variety of roles and a few years teaching secondary education.