The District 233 school board approved appointments Tuesday, April 15, of Dr. Lisa Marie Dallacqua as director of Career and Technical Education, Career Pathways and Workforce Development, and Jalitza Martinez as assistant superintendent for staff services.
Dallacqua will be the fifth CTE director in five years. She comes to H-F from Township High School District 113 in Highland Park where she joined the staff in 2024 as assistant superintendent of curriculum, instruction and assessment. She previously was assistant superintendent of curriculum, instruction and assessment at East Aurora School District 131 from 2019 to 2024, and was principal at Western Avenue School in Flossmoor from 2017 to 2019.
Dallacqua worked previously with District 233’s incoming Superintendent Jennifer Norell.
“Dr. Dallacqua is a visionary leader passionate about connecting students to real-world learning experiences,” Norell said. “Her ability to blend academic rigor with community collaboration will expand the scope and impact of H-F’s career pathways programming.”
Her salary is $150,000.
Martinez takes on a newly created role of assistant superintendent of staff services. The job previously was director of human resources.
Martinez has nearly two decades of experience in educational leadership and a specialization in human resources. She started as a school social worker in East Aurora District 131 in 2009, became an elementary school principal in 2014, and moved into human resources work in 2021. She currently is associate superintendent of school leadership. She previously was associate superintendent of staff and district operations (human resources) from 2022 to 2024.
Martinez worked previously with Norell.
“Jalitza Martinez brings a strategic and people-centered approach to human resources. Her depth of experience in cultivating strong teams and positive work environments will be instrumental as we strengthen support systems for all staff at H-F,” Norell said.
Martinez’s salary is $190,000.
With these appointments, the H-F administrative team is complete.
At the meeting, the school board also approved salaries for the 2025-26 school year. The administrators salaries are:
- Jennifer Norell, superintendent, $282,000.
- Clinton Alexander, principal, $191,214.
- Lawrence Cook, chief school business official, $208,427.
- Carla Erdy, director of communications and community engagements, $154,776.
- Matthew Lyke, athletic director, $157,422.
- James Schmidt, assistant principal, $150,477.
- David Dore, director of special education, $148,937.
- Craig Fantin, associate principal, $151,894.
- Jennifer Hester, director of curriculum, instruction and professional development, $199,370.
- James Patterson, director of operations and maintenance, $140,147.
- Steve Richardson, director of information services, $154,014.
- Catherine Ross-Cook, assistant director for curriculum and instructional equity, $131,318.
- Jennifer Rudan, director of student services, $150,221.
- Gail Smith, director of activities, $129,043.