Member Since: 2021
Current Term: 2021-2027
Email: bpowvens@dist50.net

Brianna Powvens graduated from Bay Port High School in Green Bay WI and earned a Bachelor of Science degree with a Math Education major and Sociology minor from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. Mrs. Powvens taught math in Janesville WI upon graduation and has held administrative assistant positions in the fields of real estate, construction and the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. She now takes pride as a household manager or stay-at-home-mom since 2014. Brianna has had the pleasure of volunteering as the PTA Board representative, preparing manipulatives for the math and reading programs at Elementary and the Middle School’s Music in the Park event. Outside of the district she volunteers at Bernie’s Book Bank.  

Initially, Mrs. Powvens ran for the Board of Education with a “why not me” mindset. She ran for re-election after “finally feeling comfortable with her role as a Board member and wanted to continue being a voice for our community and increase community engagement.” As a former teacher, she is able to look at issues from a teachers perspective as well as from a parent perspective since she has two children attending Woodland. Many life experiences have taught Brianna that hard work is necessary to live and thrive and she takes her position as a Board member very seriously putting in the work required to ask questions and understand issues from various perspectives of those working in and attending Woodland. Mrs. Powvens is passionate about transparency to the community, community engagement and adding a student voice to the Board of Education.

Member Since: 2023
Current Term: 2023-2027
Email: asabor@dist50.net

Amy Sabor attended public school in the Detroit Metro area and graduated with honors from Michigan State University earning a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture. Prior to starting a family, Mrs. Sabor was a highly certified and award winning landscape account manager for commercial properties and corporate campuses in the Chicagoland area. She provided designs and Plant Health Care programs for 50 properties while overseeing the operations of five maintenance and installation crews and all subcontractors. Amy enjoys volunteering for the Woodland PTA and serves as a Kindergarten Catechist and Parish Council Chair at her church. She also volunteers on Moms Demand Action and local political campaigns. Finally she partnered with members of the Warren Township High School community to pass the referendum and welcomes the opportunity to work with our local Sierra Club. 

Amy wants to serve on the Woodland School District 50 Board of Education to help “ensure a safe learning environment for all and to maximize opportunities for our Woodland students so that they are prepared to pursue their chosen path amongst all that has been secured for them at Warren Township High School.”  Her knowledge in grounds and maintenance, long term planning, budgeting, reviewing bids and estimates, interpreting data and survey results as well as serving on Home Owners Associations and non-profit Boards are Amy’s areas of expertise that she feels will assist in her decision making on the Board of Education. Mrs. Sabor grew up in a working class community knowing that she needed to make the most of her public education to attend college. Her life experience of having a father who immigrated from Greece and owning a small business and having a grandfather who was a WWII Veteran and master carpenter as well as family members volunteering in leadership roles for Rotary Club, UAW and Girl Scouts taught Amy to forge her own future, value service and step up in leadership roles. Having a daughter who graduated from the Dual Language Program and now attending Warren Township High School along with two other children attending Woodland, Amy cares deeply about “maintaining the strength of our Dual Language program and ensuring accessibility to our music program at the middle school for any student who wishes to participate.” Amy would like to maximize clubs and activities for Woodland students to assist them in finding a sense of belonging in the community. 

Member Since: 2025
Current Term: 2025-2029
Email: jzwiefelhofer@dist50.net

Member Since: 1999
Current Term: 2025-2029
Email: CLittle@dist50.net

Dr. Little has served Woodland CCSD #50 for over two decades, championing fiscal responsibility, curriculum improvements, dual-language programs, full-day kindergarten, and school infrastructure upgrades. Dr. Little is committed to student achievement, teacher development, transparency, and financial accountability. Outside of her work on the school board, she is a proud member of the Waukegan Alumnae Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She also leads youth-focused initiatives through the Chocolate Chips Association, a STEAM Program for girls, grades 2nd – 8th. With a doctorate in Molecular Biology, she brings expertise, integrity, and vision to education.

Member Since: 2023
Current Term: 2023-2027
Email: gmatsey@dist50.net

Gari Matsey holds a Masters in Advanced Studies of Human Behavior, a Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and is a Doctoral Candidate in Advanced Studies of Human Behavior. Her background is in counseling and social services. She has held many administrative leadership roles within various clinical mental health agencies, higher levels of care including partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient and residential programming within private agencies and the child welfare system. Ms. Matsey specializes in the treatment of eating disorders and co-occuring mood and anxiety disorders. She has ties to mental health organizations such as One Hope United and Lake Behavioral Hospital as well as other community and group practices to assist in social support and mental, behavioral and crisis support to students and families within the district. 

Ms. Matsey’s choice to serve on the Board came from her desire to “represent the needs of students and families. It is important for me as an incoming Board member to ensure that the voices of parents and children from all demographics are heard and acknowledged.” Gari is passionate about preserving the expressive arts and extra curricular activities. She would also like to explore activities that match the diversity of the district’s students, addressing safety and security specifically related to bullying, emotional and physical violence in the academic environment creating a positive culture and climate. Having a child in the special education program at Woodland, she has first hand knowledge of “navigating Individual Education Programs, social emotional support for children and parental stressors paired with some knowledge of the difficulties educators and administrators face.”  Ms. Matsey will advocate for special education programs and hopes to increase trauma informed care for the district's academic environments while serving on the Board of Education.

Member Since: 2025
Current Term: 2025-2029
Email: jplescia@dist50.net

Julia Plescia believes that there is no better way to serve her community than through the schools. She's passionate about children and families, health and safety, community and education and feels that being on the School Board is a prime opportunity for her to help children reach their potential and succeed in life.

Julia is a "strong woman with the confidence to stand for what she believes and has always been devoted to children and families in her personal and professional life." She graduated from Northern Illinois University with a Bachelors of Science in Nursing and later attended National Louis University for a Certification in School Nursing. As a life-long learner, Julia returned to school at North Park University and graduated at age 50 with a Masters of Science in Nursing as a Family Nurse Practitioner, certified by American Nurses Credentialing Center. Her professional background includes three years at Lake Forest Hospital on the telemetry unit and after completing her certification in school nursing worked at Woodland for 25 years as a school nurse and eventually as the lead nurse for the district. She also has worked as a Family Nurse Practitioner for five years at Lake County Health Department and assisted opening the School Based Health Center at Round Lake High School. After retiring, Julia continues to substitute as a nurse through Assured Healthcare Staffing, working mostly at SEDOL with children with special needs.

Julia and her husband have been married 43 years and lived in Grayslake for 40. They have six biological children who all graduated from Woodland and their 7th is currently a seventh grader at the Middle School. They have 13 grandchildren, three who attend Elementary and Intermediate Schools. Julia shared "We love our large and diverse family with representation from China, South America and Africa."

Member Since: 2025
Current Term: 2025-2029
Email: krasmussen@dist50.net

Keri Rasmussen and her family relocated to Gurnee from Puerto Rico in 2016. They chose Gurnee in part due to the diversity of the school district and the dual language program. Keri holds a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from the University of Wisconsin La Crosse and a Master of Science in Management with a concentration in Change Leadership. With over twenty-five years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, she has established herself as an effective leader who can collaborate with diverse teams to drive organizational success. In her free time, Keri enjoys traveling and supporting her children in many activities from sports to theatre.

Since living in Gurnee, Keri has established herself as a dedicated member of our community through volunteer work within the Woodland buildings and other community groups. She is a co-lead of an area gun violence prevention group and has established a STEM program at the CLC preschools in which she coordinates area scientists and engineers to lead STEM activities to help encourage the love for learning at a young age.

Keri views board membership as an opportunity to give back to the school district and community and contribute to the district's ongoing success. She believes that the Board, Administration, staff, and parents must collaborate respectfully and transparently, prioritizing our children's needs. Her priorities for the board are to support student-centered, data-driven decisions, retain and respect staff expertise, encourage parent and community engagement, and promote school safety and positive learning environments.

For questions about Board of Education Meetings, Agendas, or Public Comment, please contact Laura Campanella at LCampanella@dist50.net or 847-596-5602.