Candidates | Hotz, Rapp & Waters

Meet The Winnetka Slate:
HOTZ, RAPP & WATERS
3 candidates for 3 open board positions

Andrew HOTZ, Alyssa RAPP & Dan WATERS have been reviewed by the Winnetka Caucus Council Schools Committee and received a majority vote by both the Winnetka Caucus Council and a public town hall vote to become the 2025 Winnetka Slate. Hotz, Rapp & Waters were slated by the Winnetka Caucus Council based on their shared focus on the issues most important to Winnetka residents: excellent curriculum and instruction, fiscal responsibility and non-partisan leadership.

The election is contested by non-Caucus candidates, so your vote matters.

Andrew HOTZ

Tech Executive

Andrew Hotz is a technology and media executive with over 15 years of experience. A Winnetka resident since 2020 and proud parent of two District 36 students (Greeley & Skokie), Andrew is dedicated to bringing his professional expertise and passion for education to the D36 School Board. Raised by two educators, he understands the value of a strong public school education and is committed to ensuring every child in The Winnetka Public Schools reaches their full potential. With degrees from Northwestern University (B.S.) and Columbia University (M.B.A, Eli Ginzberg prize in Economics), his professional background includes executive leadership roles at Warner Bros and Google, where he currently serves as a Director focusing on media technology and AI. Andrew is actively involved in the community, having served as a volunteer teacher (Citizen Schools) and student mentor (SPARK).

Alyssa RAPP*

CEO & Board Member

*Incumbent D36 Board Member

Alyssa was born and raised in the Winnetka/Chicago area. She and her husband, Hal Morris, have two young daughters, who attend Hubbard Woods school. Alyssa attended Greeley Elementary and Washburne Middle School before graduating from New Trier High School (in which she is in the NTHS Athletics Hall of Fame). She received her BA from Yale University in Art History and her MBA from Stanford University's Graduate School of Business. Alyssa was the founder and CEO of Bottlenotes, a wine industry company based in Palo Alto, CA from 2005-2015. She later served as managing partner and business consultant for AJR Ventures and returned back to Winnetka in 2017. From 2018-2021, she served as the CEO of Surgical Solutions, a Deerfield-based health care company, in addition to being a lecturer of management at Stanford University Graduate School of Business and Chicago's Booth School of Business where she teaches classes on entrepreneurship and leadership. Alyssa currently serves as the CEO and Director of Healthwell Acquisition Corp. I, and on the board of Elevate Women's Health and Health Data Movers. Alyssa also serves on the board of The Women's Health Group.

Dan WATERS*

Marketing Executive

*Incumbent D36 Board Member

Dan has lived in Winnetka for 13 years. He was elected to the D36 Board three years ago and is currently President, having previously served as Vice President. He and his wife, Alicia, have two children who have graduated from D36 and now attend New Trier and North Shore Country Day School. Dan is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Hu Chocolate and Enjoy Life Foods and is responsible for all aspects of the company’s strategy and operations across the globe. Before joining Hu and Enjoy Life, Dan was the Global General Manager for Babybel Cheese and has held operating, finance, and marketing roles at Barilla, Gap Inc., and Deloitte. Dan and his family spent a two-year expatriation assignment in Paris, France where his children attended the American School of Paris. He has earned an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a B.S. in finance from Miami University. Dan serves on the board of Transystems, LLC a specialized trucking and logistics firm based in his home state of Montana.

The Winnetka Slate:
HOTZ, RAPP & WATERS

Hear from the Winnetka Caucus Council on why they slated the candidates...

Andrew HOTZ

"Andrew brings executive experience running a large team and P&L for Google. His perspectives on Technology will be beneficial to D36. He also has expertise with data which will be helpful to further the district's steps to improve data and measurement. Andrew has volunteer experience through Citizen Schools and SPARK."

Alyssa RAPP

"Alyssa has served on the School Board for the past four years and is currently Vice President. She is known to bring her own ideas and perspectives while also listening to others and collaborating to achieve good outcomes. She has modeled constructive Board Member behavior by listening to constituents and following their guidance over her own opinions."

Dan WATERS

"Dan has served on the School Board for the past four years and is currently President. Dan has a strong grasp on issues facing the school board and has ideas for making progress. He is known to have a calm demeanor and is adept at navigating difficult situations. He has served how a Board Member is expected to be by putting students first above all else."

Our pledge to you and our students

We believe in the power of education to transform lives and strengthen our community, and we are dedicated to fostering an environment where all students can thrive. If elected, our focus will be centered on the following key principles:

Curriculum: Our core mission is to support the education of our 1,700+ students as delivered by our dedicated teachers. We support initiatives like the 2023 English curriculum overhaul and the upcoming Math assessment, both aimed at improving student outcomes. We prioritize a robust and engaging curriculum that challenges students to reach their full potential, reflecting District 36's longstanding commitment to progressive education.
Instruction: We support the Administration's continuous improvement of instructional practices, providing teachers with necessary resources and professional development, and aligning our students' instruction with the highest academic standards. We emphasize data-driven results to ensure significant academic growth for all students, regardless of aptitude. Recognizing the importance of both what and how students are taught, we will advocate for diverse learning modalities and effective technology integration.
Fiscal Responsibility: As Winnetka taxpayers, you are constituents and supporters of our public schools, regardless of whether you have children in the District. With 96% of our nearly $57M annual budget coming directly from local taxpayers, you deserve responsible financial stewardship. We are committed to maintaining the Board's philosophy of limiting per-pupil operating expense growth to 3% annually and managing our five aging schools efficiently. Balancing long-term maintenance with necessary improvements for a growing student body will require difficult choices, but we are committed to making these decisions responsibly while preserving our neighborhood schools.
Non-Partisan Leadership: Political views and outside money continue to pour into local school elections and divert focus from providing students with the best education possible. Winnetka is not immune to that trend. We strongly believe that District 36 is a place of learning and growth for all students and partisan/personal politics have NO place in our schools. We are committed to maintaining a non-partisan environment and won’t accept outside financial support for our campaign.

We believe that by working together, we can create a school community that is a source of pride for all. We encourage open communication and collaboration and welcome your input as we strive to achieve our shared goals - for our children and our community.

- Andrew, Alyssa & Dan