Board of Directors

Lori Dann, President

Lori Dann is the founder of Presidents’ Leadership Council (PLC), an exclusive forum for small business CEOs, presidents and partners to engage, learn and grow through peer relationships and professional presentations. She has 25+ years of business experience with specific expertise in sales, marketing, communications and employee benefits.  She is the mother of three young adults who bring her immeasurable joy.  Lori is passionate about the physical and emotional well-being of our children and is honored to represent Mothers Trust Foundation.

Danielle Carter, Vice President

Danielle is the Director of Human Resources in Grayslake Community High School District 127. She is passionate about supporting students and staff to be the very best they can be.  Danielle has been in the service industry for over 15 years.  She began her teaching career at Glenbrook North High School.  She taught special education and moved on to become an Administrator at NSSED and NSSEO, both special education cooperatives dedicated to serving the educational needs of students with complex learning disabilities.

Lou Gantz, Treasurer

Lou became a Certified Public Accountant after graduating from the University of Illinois with an Engineering degree in 1975 and has been sole practitioner accountant serving a wide range of business and individual clients.  His wife is a retired school teacher having taught in the Chicago Public Schools for 35 years.  She first got involved with Mothers Trust Foundation attending weekly service meetings.  Through their discussions of the grants issued and the effect on the youth of Lake County, he decided to get further involved with MTF.

Dr. Tanya Branch, Secretary

Dr. Tanya Branch is the Assistant Superintendent of Student Services  for Community High School District 117 in Lake Villa/Antioch. Dr. Branch has served in the field of education for over 25 years in the capacity of Teacher, Assistant Principal, Principal, Director of Special Education and Special Education Administrator. She is  passionate about helping students reach their full potential which includes; Special Education and Mental Health resources, Social Emotional Wellness, Equity & Inclusion and support for Addiction and Recovery. Dr. Branch has dedicated her life to finding ways to support students and communities which aligns directly with the mission of Mothers Trust Foundation.

Dick Day

Dick’s background has been focused on the healthcare industry, primarily in the manufacturing and servicing of medical devices. Throughout his career he has gained broad experience in finance, marketing, materials management, ecommerce and general management. Dick has been involved with non-profit organizations for most of his adult life. His commitment to Mothers Trust Foundation is based on the belief that every child deserves a chance to succeed, and that Mothers Trust Foundation provides that chance when other agencies are unable.

Bill Gimbel

Bill Gimbel, GBDS, Founder, President of LaSalle Benefits. Bill has been a leader in the employee benefits and insurance space for over 33 years, having worked with companies in virtually every industry, as well as people in the c-suite, human resources and finance. Bill and his team work with companies across America to identify the right benefits plans for their employees. Gimbel has quickly become a thought leader in the employee benefits space, sharing his expertise with CNBC, Crain’s Chicago Business, Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), Training Magazine, HR Professionals Magazine, IFEBP’s Benefits Magazine, HR Daily Advisor, and more.  Bill is a proud MTF board member and is looking forward to making an impact for families need.

Christine Goshgarian
Dr. Michael Karner

Dr. Michael Karner is currently the Regional Superintendent of Schools with responsibility for fifty Lake County School Districts. Prior, he served as a Principal, Assistant Principal, educator, and coach in Lake County School Districts for the past 15 years. Michael currently serves as a Board Member for SEDOL, Lake County Tech Campus, Lake County Workforce Development, Lake County Juvenile Justice Council, the statewide PRP Panel and ISBE Equity Committee. Michael joined Mothers Trust Foundation because of the resources and support provided to students and families in Lake County.

Larry Neal

Larry has been a certified public accountant for 38 years with a tax and accounting practice located in Libertyville. He is a charter member and past president of the Libertyville Sunrise Rotary Club, volunteers for PADS of Lake County and is an active member of First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest. Larry joined Mothers Trust Foundation after meeting Barbara Monsor and seeing firsthand how a simple act of kindness could make such a big difference in the lives of others.

Heidi Prom

Heidi joined Mothers Trust Foundation as a member of the Golf Outing fundraising committee.  After an extended residence in Connecticut, she has returned to her family and area with her two children and brings almost 20 years of active service and leadership to numerous non-profits.  Heidi is a Certified Financial Planning Counselor and specializes in insurance and financial planning. She is active in the community and has created a network of educational initiatives for empowering women.  She is dedicated to finding additional ways to fund raise and spread the message of Mothers Trust Foundation’s mission.

Barbara Provost

Dr. Barbara Provost is Founder of Purse Strings, LLC which gives women access to free, online tools and resources and an available-for-hire network of vetted professionals who specialize in serving women.  Dr. Barb owned Provost Consulting, Inc. for 13 years where she and her team provided performance management strategies, training, education, instructional design and facilitation for financial institutions.  Through her work as a consultant, her personal experience of divorce and her observations of the women around her, she could see that women were not supported by financial institutions or prepared for their financial future. This led to the creation of Purse Strings, LLC where it doesn’t matter if you have a little money or a lot, Purse Strings programming helps women who are ready to put themselves first and get smart about money. Dr. Barb served as Vice President on the board of the Prairie Crossing Charter School and is now honored to serve on the board of Mother Trust Foundation to assist families in Lake County.

Jocelyn Pysarchuk

Jocelyn Pysarchuk oversees communications, public relations, publications and educational content for the American Massage Therapy Association.  Her career spans twenty years in executive management for non-profits with a focus on communications and education experiences. Jocelyn holds a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University.    She enjoys giving back and is excited to get involved in this volunteer capacity.  She looks forward to supporting the work of Mothers Trust Foundation because of its practical and inspiring approach to providing immediate need to kids and their families in Lake County.

Hon. Victoria Rossetti

The Honorable Victoria Rossetti was Mothers Trust Foundation’s past President of the Board and has been serving as the Circuit Judge in the 19th judicial circuit for over 25 years. Currently, she is the presiding judge of the criminal division. Vicki became interested in Mothers Trust Foundation when she learned of a teenage boy who had to wear his sister’s clothes, given the family could not afford to purchase clothing. A social service agency contacted Mothers Trust Foundation, which provided funds to help this boy and his family. Upon hearing of the assistance Mothers Trust Foundation provided, she knew she wanted to become involved in this organization that provided hope to children in need.

Matt Tabar

Matt is a retired Lake County school superintendent. He currently serves as Homeless Education Liaison for both the Lake and McHenry County Regional Offices of Education and as preschool consultant for the Lake County ROE. Additionally, he serves on the boards of the Antioch Rotary and the Early Childhood Community Coalition of Lake County, and as a trustee of the First Fire Protection District of Antioch. Matt supports Mothers Trust Foundation because of the tremendous work done to assist needy families and children in Lake County .