Michael Karner’s job as the Lake County Regional Superintendent of Schools focuses, in large part, on educating the children who can sometimes be a challenge for the county’s 47 public school districts.
Between operating the Regional Safe School for students who need placement outside their home district, offering classrooms for a student who may be suspended for a few days and creating a statewide virtual school, Karner continues to find innovative ways to educate.
“We established the Safe School for grades six through 12 for students when they needed an alternative placement,” he said. “We give them what they need when their home district can’t.”
Getting the attention of the business community, Karner started Career Navig8 Lake County for middle and high school students to expose them to potential careers at a young age so they can incorporate it into their education.
Karner received the Lake County Partners Talent Advancement Award on Thursday at the organization’s annual Big Event in Lincolnshire in front of more than 500 people for his shaping of career pathways, among other achievements.
“Dr. Karner is a superstar in the education space, and the complete list of his accomplishments would blow you away,” said Steve Madden, the chair of the Lake County Partners Board of Governors. “He has ushered in transformative thoughts, concepts and programs at the cutting-edge of education.”
Along with Karner, Deerfield-based Fortune Brands — operator of more than 15 lines, including Moen, Master Lock and Sentry Safe — received the Community Investment Award as it makes a major investment in its corporate headquarters.
Madden and Lake County Partners President and CEO Kevin Considine talked about the growth of business in the county over the past year, and future expectations. The crowd also learned about the makings of good locations for business from real estate economist Joshua Harris.
Last year, Madden said businesses made $1.43 billion in capital investments, added 4,000 new jobs and, in part through Lake County Partners’ efforts, kept 2,500 existing jobs from relocating across the state line to Wisconsin or other locations.
Joining with Chicago and six other suburban counties including Cook, Madden said Lake County Partners formed the Greater Chicagoland Economic Partnership. Members including Considine and Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart, traveled abroad selling the area to companies.
“We’re not just individual organizations, cities or counties,” he said. “Together, we’re a powerhouse with unmatched competitive advantages and a high quality of life, and we want site selectors, business leaders, investors and talent to know it.”
Appointed school superintendent in 2021 by Hart upon the retirement of Roycealee Wood, Karner was elected to the position in 2022. He has worked with state and federal officials to obtain $18 million in grants to fund many of the programs.
After inaugurating the Safe School, Karner said he started the Illinois Virtual School in 2022, offering online learning to 10,000 students statewide, from kindergarten through high school seniors. Each time a student passes a course, their home district is reimbursed for the expense.
The Navig8 Lake County career fair in October drew 4,200 middle and high school students to learn what 100 employers do. Karner said he also started a care navigation service to help find mental and physical health care.
“It gives one-on-one service to help people find health care appointments,” he said. “It has changed a four-month wait to four days in Lake County. It is primarily for mental health needs.”
Fortune Brands is making a major expansion of its Deerfield headquarters. Leigh Avsec, the company’s executive vice president for external affairs, said for the first time the corporate staff of all of the company’s brands will be housed in one place.
Some of Fortune Brands’ businesses are well known to consumers, like Master Lock. Avsec said the others are very well known in their industry. She talked about how their safes preserved valuables when people had to flee a disaster.
“People had three minutes to flee,” Avsec said. “When they returned (almost) everything was lost. When they opened the safe, all their valuables were there — their papers, their jewelry. It was all there.”
