Calvin “Cal” Bernstein, was re-elected to the Park District of Highland Park Board of Commissioners in April 2019. Throughout his tenure, he has exhibited strong leadership as the chairman of the Park District’s Finance Committee and currently as President of the Board of Commissioners. His pivotal role as the Park Board liaison on the GreenPrint 2024 project team and as chairman of the Golf Committee overseeing the renovation of Sunset Valley Golf Club highlights his commitment to the Park District’s growth and development.
Cal’s extensive community involvement spans over 22 years, during which he has coached numerous Park District-sponsored house and travel baseball teams. His service as a former City of Highland Park Zoning Board of Appeals member and as a charter member of the Highland Park Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) further demonstrates his dedication to public service.
Cal holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and a J.D. from the George Washington University School of Law. Currently, he serves as a named partner in the law firm Samuels & Bernstein. Together with his wife Julie and their children, Cal continues to be an active user of the Park District’s programs and facilities.
Jen began her journey of local voluntarism shortly after settling in Highland Park in 2010. She has held leadership positions on community boards and committees such as the Parks Foundation of Highland Park, Highland Park Historical Society, American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO), NSSD 112 Caucus and NSSD112 Reconfiguration 2.0 Community Team. As a board member for the Parks Foundation of Highland Park she worked closely with the Park District administration to help raise awareness and funding for the SMILE Grant-in-Aid program for those in our community who are financially unable to participate in Park District programming.
Jen is a former practicing litigator and currently holds a senior business development role for a Chicago tech company. Prior to this, she leveraged her litigation and legislative/regulatory expertise into a fifteen-year tenure in legal tech consulting for two large advisory firms.
Jen appreciates the effort and planning it takes to balance a budget and achieve balance as a working mom. With three elementary-aged kids, her personal experience with Park District facilities and programs inspired her to participate in the success and innovation of both going forward. She champions intergovernmental cooperation and has considerable knowledge of and familiarity with other local governing entities and organizations. Jen brings her dedication to Highland Park, knowledge of and love for the Park District, and prior local board experience to the Park Board.
Terry Grossberg enjoys his term on the Park Board and serves as the Park Board liaison to the Human Relations Advisory Group (HRAG). He is a graduate of Indiana University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education and went on to earn a Master’s degree in Music Education as well. Terry retired from teaching in 2022 after 36 years in education at all levels.
Terry and his wife Marla moved to Highland Park in 1993. They made the move in part because of the parks and lakefront which made Highland Park stand out above other communities. Along with their two children, Emily and Danny, they are still proud to call Highland Park home.
Terry is a passionate volunteer and dedicates much of his free time to a variety of causes. Aside from his work with the HRAG, he also helps organize the annual Martin Luther King Day of Service, volunteers at the Moraine Township Food Pantry and helps out around the city and township whenever he is needed.
Terry’s new endeavor is as a Teen Board Advisor for Gratitude Generation, a local charitable organization whose mission is to instill gratitude in future generations through education and service. Additionally, he is the Conductor and Director of Music of the Crystal Lake Community Band in Crystal Lake, Illinois.
Terry is an avid tennis, paddle and pickleball player who also enjoys finding sea glass at Moraine Beach, taking walks to Millard Beach and The Preserve with his family and their dog Shady, and of course hitting the links at Sunset Valley Golf Club.
Barnett (Barney) Ruttenberg was re-elected to the Park Board of Commissioners in 2019. He serves as the Park Board Commissioner and as a member of the Finance Committee. Having earned his BA from the University of Illinois and his JD from Northwestern Law School, Barney’s legal career focused on Real Estate transactions. His ability to listen to people, synthesize information, and negotiate solutions to problems serves him well in public service.
Serving on the Park Board is another in a long list of Barney’s public service contributions. While actively engaged in his legal career, Barney served as a member and chairman of the Highland Park Plan Commission. He served on the Lakefront Advisory Committee, the Rosewood Beach Task Force, and on his synagogue’s school board. Barney offered pro bono counsel to Openlands in the acquisition and development of the Fort Sheridan nature preserve site.
Raising two sons in Highland Park, the family enthusiastically used many of the Park District’s programs, camps, and facilities. As energetic adults, he and his wife Marsha are frequent users of the Recreation Center of Highland Park. Barney served as Commodore of the North Dhore Yacht Club.
With a wealth of professional experience, his finger on the pulse of the community, and a focus on fiscal responsibility, Barney is well prepared to represent the residents of Highland Park as they look to the Park District to provide excellent programs, services, and facilities for residents of all ages.
Rafael Labrador joined the Park Board in August 2024 as an appointee filling a vacancy. Prior to joining the Board, Rafael has been a dedicated and active member of the community and the Park District for many years.
He served as the president of the Parks Foundation from 2021 – August 2024. Under his leadership, the Foundation successfully raised over $1 million to support scholarships and fill funding gaps in various important Park District projects.
Alongside strengthening the relationship between the Parks Foundation and the District, Rafael also contributed as a resident member of the Park District’s Efficiency Committee in 2023. The committee’s focus was to analyze the district’s governing statutes, ordinances, rules, procedures, powers, shared services, and intergovernmental agreements with other governmental units.
