Clarendon Hills Appoints Trustee To Seat That’s Now Changed Hands 3 Times Since 2022

Clarendon Hills has appointed Liz O’Connell to fill the Village Board vacancy created by the October resignation of Denise Kavuliak, who left after serving for eight months.

Kavuliak was appointed to replace Steve Tuttle, who was appointed in mid-2022 and ran in the 2023 election unopposed. O’Connell’s term expires in 2027.

Village President Eric Tech said seven people reached out about the open board seat. Tech contacted all seven and interviewed four.

“Every one of the individuals I spoke to was outstanding, and I encourage each of them to reach out to the caucus for potential opportunities in the future, as I would be pleased to serve with any of them,” he said.

Tech said he recommended O’Connell for multiple reasons.

“She is relatively new to town, but is also married to someone who grew up nearby, thus proving both fresh eyes and a sense of our history,” he said. “She has impressive professional credentials and also a volunteer history. She is motivated by wanting to give her time and talents to her new hometown. She also brings an open mind and is committed to working with our board.”

O’Connell is a managing director and partner at AArete, a global management and technology consulting firm specializing in driving profitability improvement, digital transformation, and strategy & change. She also is co-leader of AArete’s healthcare consulting practice, which has served 120-plus health plans and provider organizations across all U.S. markets and lines of business.

C’Connell is a founding Executive Sponsor of AArete’s Women’s Initiative Network, established in 2018; a member of Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation and was named a 2022 Top 50 Leader in Healthcare Consulting by The Consulting Report, a 2024 Women Leaders in Consulting by Consulting Magazine for Excellence in Leadership, and a 2025 Top 25 Leader in Healthcare Consulting by The Consulting Report.

In her spare time, O’Connell supports the non-profit organization, Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, serving on their Board of Regents. She holds an MBA from DePaul University and a BA in Marketing from Loyola University Chicago.

Chuck Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.