Dr. Judy Jankowski
President
Current Board Chair, Dr. Judy Jankowski began her service to VGA as a Founding Board member and comes to us with four decades of experience in education serving exceptional learners. Her early career was spent as a special education teacher; later, she moved into educational administration at Quest Academy in Palatine, IL, and the McLean School of Maryland. In 2013, Dr. Jankowski began her tenure as the Head of School at Chesapeake Bay Academy in Virginia Beach, VA.
Dr. Jankowski received advanced degrees in Educational Leadership at National Louis University and completed post-graduate study in Leadership for Independent Schools at Johns Hopkins University. In 2020, Dr. Jankowski received a Klingenstein Fellowship from the Teacher's College at Columbia University and was selected a Woman of Distinction in the category of Community Champion by the YWCA of South Hampton Roads. This year, Dr. Jankowski was named to the "Brain Trust" at the National College of Education, focused on informing the future of teacher education programs.
Dr. Jankowski's commitment to gifted education runs deep, beginning in the late 1990s with her need to find an appropriate school for her own gifted child. That commitment expanded when she wrote her dissertation on the over-identification and misidentification of ADHD in highly gifted children. Dr. Jankowski's commitment to the service of gifted children continues to this day
John Slater
Vice president
John’s interest in gifted education, and Vanguard Gifted Academy, in particular, stems largely from the fact that his son is a student there. Over the last couple of years, he has realized how invaluable a resource VGA is and has now enrolled his younger daughter.
Stepping into his childhood dentist’s office some years ago as an adult, they produced his patient form from when he was five. It listed a number of things, including what he wanted to be when he grew up. Five-year-old John wrote: pilot. 35 years later, John enjoys flying for a living, a career that has so far spanned more than 15 years. John flies for an Oakbrook-based private-label food manufacturer.
John graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Aviation Human Factors from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. He is also an alum of Hampshire High School, having graduated as a Salutatorian in 2001. John values the gifted-centric education as he watches his son thrive at Vanguard and realizes that his High School experience didn’t necessarily prepare him for collegiate success or to realize his full potential.
John lives with his wife, son, and daughter in Saint Charles. They enjoy watching combat robotics, being close to the bike path, camping, flying, and building with Legos.
Natasha Christensen
Treasurer
Tasha has a deep passion for strengths-based education and individualized learning. She taught for fourteen years working with students from all grades, pre-k through 12. She has experience in public, private, and charter schools with expertise in online education. Tasha enjoys building and expanding upon educational programs, making sure that each student receives the best education for him or her. Currently, she is the math specialist for a K-8 charter school in Pleasant Grove, Utah.
Tasha graduated from Brigham Young University-Hawaii with a Bachelor’s in International Business Management and Secondary Education. She also earned a Master’s in Educational Psychology from the University of Connecticut, with an emphasis in Gifted, Creativity, and Talent Development.
She has managed a math and English tutoring business for the past 18 years and teaches for Adventures with Mr. Math, a non-profit organization that focuses on math for highly advanced students.
Tasha and her husband have a blended family with five amazing children. They love to create music and dance together. They also love the outdoors and exploring National Parks together. Tasha plays a number of instruments and sings. She has performed professionally with a variety of groups.
Chris Fernandez
Trustee
Before retiring, Chris was on the leadership team of a privately owned mid-size global manufacturing company responsible for organizational effectiveness, learning, and change.
Chris earned his PhD from Case Western Reserve University and enjoys being an organizational behaviorist. He aspires to help organizations develop the capabilities needed to perform at their very best. The two ways to achieve being the very best is to be a positive workplace that is admired by its employees and productive as an organization, that is admired by its customers.
Chris is an adjunct professor in the Department of Organizational Development at Benedictine University.
He also offers pro-bono Organization and Leadership Development services to not-for-profit agencies within the community.
He is active with hobbies and likes to swim, walk, golf, cycle, and play pickleball.
Saba Mahmood
Trustee
Saba is a Nationally Certified and Illinois Licensed School Psychologist.
Saba received her undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and her Master’s in Educational Psychology. She is currently pursuing a doctorate.
Saba utilizes data from multiple domains to integrate cognitive ability, academic achievement, and psychological functioning to identify and understand children’s strengths, challenges, and learning differences.
Her emphasis on children’s strengths makes Saba an excellent Education Advocate. She specializes in guiding parents to specific schools designed for their children’s needs and supporting parents and caregivers in navigating Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and 504 plans to help public schools better serve their children.
Saba works with and advocates for diverse, underrepresented populations. She speaks multiple languages, including fluency in Hindi and Urdu.
In her free time, she enjoys going to the gym and doing outdoor activities such as cycling and pickleball.
Jeffrey Zalc
Trustee
Jeffrey Zalc has ~20 years of experience at BP developing and implementing detailed refining process models and training many chemical engineers in all facets of chemical process simulation. He has worked extensively with engineers worldwide to support the use of process models in optimization, troubleshooting, debottlenecking, crude and feedstock selection, and capital investment decisions.
At BP, Jeff has also been involved in many STEM-related outreach activities for middle school and high school students.
Since 2015, Jeffrey has been an adjunct professor at Illinois Tech, teaching courses in chemical process design, chemical process simulation, and energy, economics, and environment. He loves teaching, mentoring, and fostering the career growth of young engineers.
Jeffrey was recently awarded the Hamid Arastoopour Excellence in Teaching Award by the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Illinois Tech. He actively volunteers in the Chicago Section of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), serving as Treasurer (twice), Chair-Elect, Chair, and past Chair.
Jeff completed a two-year postdoctoral position at UC Berkeley and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering at Rutgers University. He is a licensed professional engineer in Illinois and an AIChE Fellow. He lives in Aurora, IL, with his wife and two daughters.
Elizabeth Blaetz
Trustee
I founded Vanguard Gifted Academy after working as both an educator and administrator in gifted education for nearly 20 years. Having recognized the importance of serving young gifted children at their various learning levels rather than based on their age, I formulated a unique model of learning meant to serve the developmental, intellectual, and social-emotional needs of these special students, who often do not find a niche in a traditional model. When the school I was working at announced it would be closing, it seemed to be the perfect opportunity to turn my ideas into reality, and Vanguard Gifted Academy was founded. As with most endeavors, there is much more involved than you can imagine when you start. Vanguard has taken root and blossomed as each trustee, teacher, parent, and student contributed their insights and strengths! It is my privilege to continue the journey of building Vanguard with the support of our board.
CREDENTIALS & AREAS OF EXPERtise include:
Master’s Certificate in Gifted Education – Northwestern University
Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction – National Louis University
Presenter: National Association for Gifted Children Conferences and Illinois Association for Gifted Children Conferences
Gifted Education Administrator – Vanguard Gifted Academy, Quest Academy
Gifted Education Teacher – Vanguard Gifted Academy, Da Vinci Academy, Quest Academy
Curriculum development
Differentiation and personalized learning
Blended learning and technology integration