Walk into the Board Room.
Joseph J. Perkoski, Managing Partner — Joseph J. Perkoski has built his legal career with a profound focus on representing educational institutions and public sector employers, particularly in board and executive leadership matters. Known for his experience in labor and employment issues, including collective bargaining, grievance arbitration, and contract interpretation, Joseph has become a trusted counselor for his clients.
Joseph finds immense satisfaction in counseling clients to help them achieve their goals and objectives. His strengths as an attorney lie in effective listening and engagement skills and his contributions extend beyond his legal practice with notable publications and presentations. These include labor negotiations and collective bargaining agreement administration.
Joseph’s excellence in the legal field is underscored by prestigious accolades, including being recognized as a Fellow of The College of Labor & Employment Lawyers and consistently listed in Illinois Super Lawyers from 2008 to 2020. Notably, he holds the title of an Illinois Leading Lawyer in Employment, Labor, and School Law.
Joseph’s desire to provide guidance to people and entities facing legal challenges motivated him to become a lawyer. His choice to specialize in education law is rooted in his aspiration to assist educational entities in achieving their objectives.
Before becoming a lawyer, Joseph served as a Human Resources Administrator at The Ohio State University. This role significantly influenced his career trajectory, eventually leading him to become a labor and employment attorney with a specialization in serving educational entities.
Joseph’s blue-collar upbringing in a community where education was seen as crucial to advancement profoundly influenced his goals, outlook, and approach to the law. Being the first in his family to attend college, he has dedicated himself to education both as a student and as an attorney serving educational entities.
Apart from his legal pursuits, Joseph enjoys writing and outdoor activities. He has been an active supporter of the Chicago Rowing Foundation since 2021, showcasing his commitment to community involvement. A lesser-known fact about him is his love for poetry, adding a creative dimension to his multifaceted personality.
Dr. Peter Hannigan, Superintendent — is an accomplished educational leader with a strong commitment to ensuring quality education for all. He holds a Doctorate in Educational Administration, an Educational Specialist degree, and a Master of Science in Education, all from Northern Illinois University. He began his career as an elementary school teacher, and his passion for education led him to assume various leadership roles. Dr. Hannigan’s administrative experience includes serving as the Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources in the Schaumburg Consolidated Community School District 54. In this role, he oversaw a district with 15,000 students and 28 schools. Prior to that, he held principal positions at schools ranging from kindergarten through eighth grade. As the Superintendent of Hawthorn School District 73, Dr. Hannigan is dedicated to the mission of ‘Ensuring learning for all.’ He leads a diverse student population of approximately 4,200 students across nine schools, providing equitable opportunities and a world-class, whole-child education. Hawthorn District 73 has earned recognition for its academic and extracurricular achievements, including National Blue Ribbon Awards and the ‘Whole Child Award’ from the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Carla Owen, Board Member — Carla is a member of the ED-RED executive board. She has been on the Maine Township High School District 207 school board since December, 2012. She served as District 207’s Board President for five years – from 2016-2019, and then again from 2022-2024. She has also chaired the Board’s Policy and Education Committees, and is the Board’s liaison to the Insurance Committee. During her time on the Board, the District advanced a successful $195 million bond referendum resulting in extensive renovations at each of the District’s school campuses. This year, she led the Board in the search for and hiring of a new Superintendent. Carla is an attorney who began her career at Vedder, Price in Chicago, working in the Labor and Employee Benefits practice areas. Currently, she is a pro bono attorney representing minors in contested guardianship cases.
Kevin Noll, Partner — Noll’s practice focuses on the area of labor and employment law. Kevin counsels school districts, community colleges, libraries, park districts, and municipalities with issues involving employee discipline, internal investigations, employee leaves of absences, and alleged discrimination and harassment claims. Kevin also defends clients in litigation and administrative charges in federal and state court, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Illinois Department of Human Rights, and the Illinois Department of Labor. In addition to his experience in labor and employment law, Kevin has trained school districts and community colleges pursuant to Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972.
As an attorney, Kevin strives to cut through complexity to provide clients with practical answers and pragmatic solutions.
Beyond his legal work, Kevin’s interests include golf and spending quality time with family and friends.