Sycamore Community School District 427 Welcomes New Board Member

Sycamore Community School District 427 is pleased to welcome Mr. Alan Zantout as our newest Board of Education member. Mr. Zantout was officially voted in during the board meeting on Tuesday, September 25, 2024, where he was selected to fill the vacancy left by Mr. Jim Dombek.

Mr. Zantout brings a wealth of experience and a strong commitment to community service. His background and passion for education will help guide our district as we continue to grow and empower our students. We recently had the opportunity to ask a few questions and learn more about our newest board member. 

Tell us about yourself. 

Sycamore is near and dear to my heart.  I am a proud graduate of Sycamore High School, Sycamore Middle School and Southeast Elementary. I moved back to Sycamore with my wife, Becky, after attending The University of IOWA where I received a MS and BS in Mechanical Engineering. We are the proud parents of three young children. Today, my two oldest children attend Southeast Elementary with my youngest counting down the days until she can be like her older siblings and attend Southeast. I work locally at IDEAL Industries where I am the Director of Innovation and Technical Services. I enjoy volunteering locally, coaching my children’s sports, serving as co-president of the Southeast PTO and exploring our community with my family.  I commute to work and around town by bicycle, if you see me, say hello, I would love to connect. 

Why did you want to join the District 427 Board of Education?

I have always had a passion for education and the Sycamore School District.  My mother and uncles were teachers at the Sycamore School District and my grandmother was on the school board. While in high school, I participated in a past Strategic Planning process, and since then I have volunteered for numerous district committees.  Through all this participation and now having children in the district, I have great admiration for the impact our schools can have on preparing our children for a successful life. I was not gifted with the skills to be a great teacher, but feel I can assist the board and district by bringing my unique perspective and an open mind from the community to continuously improve our district. 

What excites you about serving the District 427 Board of Education?

I look forward to partnering with students, staff, teachers, administrators, and the community to work together to make the Sycamore School District as great as possible. Meeting new people and working on challenging problems is a true passion of mine. I hope to be able to take my skills and learned experiences, along with feedback from our community and school district, to work as one cohesive school board to continue and grow the success of the district and our students.