Email your Ward 1 Chair

Mary and her family have lived on the North Shore since 2016 and moved to Lake Forest in 2021. She has an undergraduate degree in Biology and a Master’s of Natural Resources. Mary has experience working with government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private industry. While living in Washington, D.C. Mary worked for the U.S. National Arboretum and at the Bureau of Land Management. She has managed restoration projects on a variety of degraded landscapes across the country, often bringing together disparate stakeholder groups. In her free time, Mary likes walking her dog, cross-country skiing, and enjoying the natural beauty of Lake Forest. Mary is looking forward to serving this remarkable community.

After graduating summa cum laude with a B.A. in History from Illinois State University, Jason co-founded what is now a national restaurant company. Jason’s company, Bottleneck Management, has 16 locations in seven different states including eight in the greater Chicagoland area. He has worked extensively with development partners such as Walt Disney World and The Dallas Cowboys along with some of the largest real estate partners in the world. Over the past twenty-plus years Jason has helped guide Bottleneck from having just two employees to employing well over a thousand people today. The constant changes to the hospitality landscape over the years have tested his organizational skill, leadership ability, and management style. Jason is looking forward to bringing these global life lessons to bear while serving the local community.

Jason’s childhood was spent growing up in the northwest Chicago suburb of Elgin where his extended family was enthusiastically involved in local politics. After an almost twenty-year stint in the city of Chicago, Jason, his wife Jennifer, and their three children, proudly became residents of Lake Forest in 2017. They could not be happier with the place they now call home and look forward to participating in the community through the Caucus.

Scott Anderson serves as President of James Anderson Company, Engineers, Forest Builders, and Forest Plumbing. He is a lifelong fifth generation resident of Lake Forest and an alum of LFHS and the University of Mississippi with a BS in Civil Engineering. Scott provides advice and oversight for many public infrastructure projects as well as commercial and residential development projects. Scott is or has served as the Village Engineer for the Village of Mettawa, the Village of Vernon Hills, the Village of Old Mill Creek, and several drainage districts. Scott was elected Highway Commissioner twice for Shields Township, before the position was eliminated.

Lisa Engel has been a resident of Lake Forest since 2018. She lives with her husband and four sons, three of whom currently attend DPM and Sheridan.  Their youngest son was born with a congenital heart disorder and the family has become passionate about educating others about CHD awareness.  Lisa works as a middle school assistant principal and has previously worked as a school counselor and middle school teacher. She is currently pursuing her Doctorate of Education in School Leadership.  Her family loves downtown Lake Forest, the beach, and is lucky to have found wonderful friends and neighbors. 

Kelly is a lifelong Lake Forest resident. She attended both LFCDS and DPM as a child. Kelly’s professional background is in Structured Finance, having worked in Chicago for a private equity firm after obtaining her M.B.A. in Accounting. Kelly resides in town with her husband and their three children, who attend the School of St. Mary where Kelly is an active volunteer, room mother, and parishioner. As a family they like to travel, watch the kids’ various sporting events, see concerts at Ravinia, and enjoy all the blessings of our beautiful town.

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.

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.

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.