2016 Dukes of Distinction

Seven Dukes of Distinction were chosen by a panel of judges and were honored Thursday evening, November 3, 2016 beginning with a reception at 6:30 PM in the York High School Commons followed by a program at 7 PM. At that time, the honorees shared brief remarks and be recognized with a plaque.

Dan Konopka, Class of 1993

Dan Konopka – Class of 1993 - Dan is the drummer for and a founding member of Ok Go, a Grammy Award winning, American alternative rock band formed in 1998 here in Chicago, Illinois. The band is a viral sensation, with over 125 million views on YouTube. They were dubbed the “first post-internet band” by the head of Apple’s marketing. In 2006 the group released the video for the song “Here it Goes Again” to YouTube; it has been viewed 100 million times and  won the 2007 Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video and the 2006 YouTube Awards for Most Creative Video. 

Jack Lavin – Class of 1980

Jack Lavin – Class of 1980 - Jack has dedicated himself to a life of public service. He served as Illinois Governor Pat Quinn’s chief of staff and has been active in numerous Illinois charities and community organizations, serving in leadership capacities that were vital to the organizations’ ongoing success. A strong advocate for the disability community, he chaired and provided recommendations to the Chicago Public Schools Task Force on Special Education. He is president and CEO of Lavin Strategies, Inc. He has worked with numerous organizations and received awards for this work.

Judd Lofchie – Class of 1976

Judd Lofchie – Class of 1976 - Judd has worked as a lawyer, commercial developer and real estate broker and is the owner and president of Judd Lofchie & Associates, located in Aurora, Illinois, for 25 years. Judd is founder and Director Emeritus for StreetWise Inc., a newspaper he created in 1992 for homeless persons in Chicago, assisting over 10,000 people of whom 40% have earned their way back to financial independence. He currently serves an emeritus board member. A world traveler, he speaks several languages.

Tekki Lomnicki – Class of 1974

Tekki Lomnicki – Class of 1974 - Tekki is a solo performer, playwright, director and educator. In 1995, Tekki co-founded Tellin’ Tales Theatre. The company, dedicated to shattering the barriers between the disabled and non-disabled worlds through personal story, produces adult solo performance as well as Six Stories Up, a life-changing mentoring program and show, featuring middle school students and adults with and without disabilities. Tekki performs her solo work for schools, conferences, and theater audiences all over the U.S. and Canada, and starred in the award-winning film, The Miracle by Jeffrey Jon Smith.

Barbara Kegerreis Lunde – Class of 1955

Barbara Kegerreis Lunde – Class of 1955 - Dr. Lunde was the second female to get a PhD in physics from Iowa State University and became the first woman Professional Electrical Engineer in Iowa. While in Iowa, she was the engineer for the construction of two commercial radio stations and then stepped in to operate them for 12 years. She received two patents for developing rocket guidance instruments and served as a project manager for NASA from 1961-65. Barbara designed and studied solar energy systems from 1976-80.

O. Robert Nottelmann – Class of 1943 (1925-2003)

O. Robert Nottelmann – Class of 1943 (1925-2003) - Bob Nottelmann (deceased) was a distinguished business leader, philanthropist and volunteer. With an MBA from the University of Chicago, he spent his whole career at Inland Steel and its principal subsidiary. We have Mr. Nottelmann, and the other founding board members, to thank for the Foundation for Educational Excellence which has raised $2.5 million, adding many enhancements and innovative, new programs to District 205. To date, 552 Thiems grants have been distributed to support students and teachers. Mr. Nottelmann will be represented by his son, Mark Nottelmann.

Allan Tereba – Class of 1965

Allan Tereba – Class of 1965 - Dr. Tereba played a significant role in advancing the field of forensics by developing new materials, devices and techniques to improve the quality of DNA fingerprinting, greatly diminishing the time needed to prepare DNA evidence from large numbers of crime scene samples. This technology has also been used in related applications and to identify genetic markers associated with cancer. During his working career, and in retirement, he has volunteered his time, talents and leadership skills for community service.