Arlen S. Gould, Board Member

SERVING SINCE: 1993
CURRENT TERM: 2025-2029
EMAIL: [email protected]
RESIDENT: Village of Arlington Heights
OCCUPATION: Entrepreneur, Sales & Marketing Executive in the Retail Grocery and Housewares Industries
IASB RECOGNITION: Legacy Board Leader
SELF-DESCRIPTION IN 3 WORDS: Thoughtful. Compassionate. Committed.

“CCSD 21 is unique because of its marvelous and extensive diversity of our student population, our outstanding teachers and administrative team, leading music programs, and its constantly improving and relevant education programs. We are also fortunate to have been able to re-build and update the physical plant of all our schools. This includes state of the art LMC’s, steam classrooms and technology as well as handicapped accessible play grounds at all schools.”

APPOINTMENTS

• Liaison to the North Cook Intermediate Service Center (NCISC)
• Liaison to the Wheeling 708 Mental Health Board
• Liaison to the Village of Arlington Heights
• Liaison to the Arlington Heights Park District

OTHER BOARD POSITIONS

• North Cook Intermediate Service Center (NCISC) Governing Board Member

BOARD MEMBER MANDATED TRAINING

• Open Meetings Act (OMA) Training – February 29, 2012
• Professional Development Leadership Training (PDLT) & Performance Evaluation Reform Act (PERA) Training – May 17, 2013
• Basics of Governance – November 16, 2018
• Trauma-Informed Practices – December 17, 2025

Click here to view a full list of professional training and development activities.

Q&A

What is one thing about you that few people know?

“I love photography, especially photos of my family. I have traveled extensively throughout Europe for business, often visiting schools to compare programs. “

What skills do you bring to the table?

“I bring extensive knowledge of education as a former teacher, a strong understanding of government operations from my experience working in the governor’s office, and well-developed critical thinking skills honed by 40 years in the business world.”

Why did you decide to run for the Board?

“In 1992, I was unhappy with a lack of transparency and decisions the Board was making at the time. I sought this role with the intention of advocating for greater transparency and accountability.”

What is your proudest Board achievement(s) so far?

“I am proud of keeping the district functioning well during tough economic times and of improving educational programs for all students.”

What value does the Board bring to the students, the District, & the community?

“The Board is a team that works to continuously improve the quality of our educational programs. We are responsible for the general oversight of the district, both educationally and financially.”

What are your goals while serving on the Board?

“I want to continuously improve the quality of education we deliver to our students. This includes finding ways to ensure that all students achieve at their appropriate grade level, providing quality physical and mental health care as needed, continuing to improve our facilities so they are state-of-the-art in every way, maintaining a safe environment for our students, and fostering ongoing dialogue with our parents while building strong relationships with our staff. All of this must be done while remaining mindful of the limits on taxing our district residents.”