Board of Directors

Carol Gabrielsen, President
Carol grew up in Arlington Heights and chose to live and work here, with her two children, as well as run her business; Unemployment Consultants, Inc. Carol is a member of the Greater O'hare Association, Northern Illinois Business PAC, Management Association of Illinois, Employer's Association of Illinois, and the Illinois Manufacturing Association.

"As a child growing up in Arlington Heights, and now as an adult, my family has enjoyed the parks and all the programs the district has offered. I feel it is time to give back to the area which has given me so much pleasure."

Sarah Svoboda, Vice-President
Sarah and her family moved to Arlington Heights in 2005 and have been “power users” of the AHPD from their very first days as Village residents.  Sarah believes her family’s experience with the parks is typical in Arlington Heights, and is interested in bringing the perspective of a completely engaged AHPD family to the Park Foundation. 

“The AHPD is an incredible asset to Arlington Heights. I look forward to working with the Foundation to encourage innovative use of our outdoor spaces and to create new opportunities for connecting with our neighbors.”

Sarah is the Manager of Policy, Advocacy and Communication for Lifeline Vascular Access, a subsidiary of DaVita Kidney Care.  She holds a master’s degree in public health from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a B.A in English from the College of Wooster.  She is a member of the Illinois Public Health Association and the nonpartisan Women in Government Relations national professional society. 

Mark Frighetto, Secretary

Mark, and his wife Nancie and children Reid and Reese (18), have been Arlington Heights homeowners since 2000 residing in the Frontier Park neighborhood.

"Over the years, we have been actively involved in numerous Arlington Heights Park District programs including Children at Play (CAP), the Arlington Heights Youth Baseball and Basketball Associations (AHYBA), The Arlington Heights Youth Athletic Association (AHYAA) and the Arlington Muskies Swim Program, so we can attest to their quality. Both Nancie and I are committed to building upon that recreational quality long term."

Mark was actively involved in the Frontier Park Re-Development Plan and subsequent Parks Referendum from Day 1 and has been a Foundation Board Member for over ten years.  Mark works in commercial banking/commercial real estate here in the Northwest Suburbs.

Adam Eichorn, Member

An Arlington Heights resident since 2006, Adam lives in the Hickory Meadows neighborhood with his wife Jennifer and two children. Both kids are very active in the community and enjoy a range of indoor and outdoor activities. He and his family continue to be involved in multiple park programs including CAP, camps, sports, and cultural arts.

A lifelong skateboarder, Adam works in development and design for Spohn Ranch Skateparks, located in Los Angeles California.  He partners with municipalities and individuals across the country to build skateparks and enrich communities.  Nothing makes him prouder than to see a new project come to fruition.

“I’m honored to be a Foundation Member. Through the hard work and dedication of our volunteer staff and a series of fundraisers, we help to enhance the recreation and arts programs within our village. I value the opportunities it has provided my community and enjoy helping it grow."

Amy Kitzmiller, Member
Amy Kitzmiller is the Director of Finance of the Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL), which manages the largest teaching residency program, as well as turnaround schools in low income, under-served neighborhoods of Chicago. Amy also serves on the Executive Committee of Northwest Cook County Sierra Club. Amy co-founded Arlington Heights Cool Cities Coalition, a consortium of Arlington Heights residents, businesses, churches, non-profits, and organizations interested in reducing local carbon emission levels for a healthy, sustainable community environment.

Amy was drawn to Arlington Heights after regularly participating in AHPD programs. "In addition to participating in or coaching AHPD programs each sport season, my family and I are constantly found at the parks. I'm excited about the incorporation of water management and sustainability practices at our parks. I'm also excited to be part of expanding the impact of the Foundation to more residents."

Frank Lesniak, Member

Frank Lesniak is Vice President of Air-Flo HVAC, Inc., a family owned and operated company, established in 2002 in Arlington Heights. He has been in the heating and air conditioning business for over 50 years. Frank served on the Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce board for 6 years, and the exec board for 2 years. Frank is a current member and past President of The Saint Joseph’s club of Italian Americans. The club has held fund raisers to help raise money for many individuals and organizations.

Frank and his wife Joanne have lived in Arlington Heights for over 45 years where they raised 3 sons. The Park District has always provided wonderful opportunities for their family. Pre-school, swimming, soccer, baseball, basketball, football, and golf are just a few of the wonderful programs their family participated in and continue to enjoy. While coaching his sons in many sports through the years, Frank was blessed to establish life-long friendships with many community members.

Tom McDonnell, Member
Tom is the president of the Surrey Ridge West Homeowner's Civic Association. Working closely with federal, state and local goernment bodies, Tom was instrumental in the development of the Arlington Lakes Golf Club and was heavily involved in the creation of Irish Fest, a local fundraising event benefiting the Arlington Heights Historical Museum.

Nancy Prosser, Member

Biography coming soon!

Theresa Schultz, Member

Theresa Schultz became a resident of Arlington Heights in 2011, where she lives with her husband, Chris, and their two children. She earned her BBA in Marketing from University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in 2004. After graduation she held sales and marketing positions in the Commercial mortgage, Uniform Rental & Facility Services, and food packing industries. For the past 11 years she has been a stay-at-home mom to her daughters, Sydney and Lucy. While carrying for her children, Theresa has worked part time as an admin at Berkshire Hathaway American Heritage in Elk Grove Village since 2011. She has been the Arlington Heights community coordinator for Healthy Kids Running Series (a Nationwide, non-profit organization) since 2017. She also serves as a board member for the charity Hearts For Hope since 2019.  Theresa is enthusiastic, enjoys bringing people together and being involved in the community. She looks forward to continuing to do so through the Parks Foundation.

Brian Owen, Ex officio Member

Brian Owen lives in the Pioneer Park area with his wife, Gena, and their two kids, Jake and Abbey.  Throughout the years, his family has used many of the Park District’s services, including CAP, dance, golf, swimming, Aces travel soccer, and baseball.  Brian has served for the past five years on the Arlington Lakes Golf Advisory Committee.

Professionally, Brian is the President of BJO Wealth Management LLC.  He has a Bachelor of Science in Business with a concentration in Finance from Eastern Illinois University and a MBA in Investment Management from DePaul University.

During his time with Lombard, he played an integral role in the District receiving the GFOA Award of Financial Reporting Achievement for 17 consecutive years, the GFOA Certificate of Recognition for Budget Presentation for four consecutive years, and the successful completion of the CAPRA and Distinguished Accreditation Programs.  In 2009 he was named IPRA’s 2009 Young Professional of the Year, and he has been an Illinois Trust Board Member since 2010.  He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Millikin University. 

Amy Seklecki, Ex officio Member

Amy Seklecki joined the Arlington Heights Park District in 2022 as its new Director of Marketing & Community Engagement. She comes to AHPD from the Village of Barrington where she served as the Events & Marketing Manager. Prior to her role with Barrington, she served as the Superintendent of Marketing & Special Events and Marketing & Special Events Coordinator for the Wheaton Park District. Seklecki has a Bachelor of Arts from Aurora University in Communications and earlier this year became a Certified Park and Recreation Professional.