The Niles Township High School District 219 Board of Education appointed Mateo Farzaneh to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of former board member David Ko in July. The D219 Board held a special meeting on August 25, 2026 to approve the appointment of Dr. Farzaneh who will be sworn in at the September 8, 2026 regular Board meeting.

Dr. Farzaneh is a History Department professor at Northeastern Illinois University, where he has also served as Chair of the Departments of History and Political Science since 2023. Prior to receiving a PhD in History at the University of California in Santa Barbara, he received both his Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts degrees from California State University. A multilingual, award-winning author, he has written numerous book reviews, articles and publications.

Dr. Farzaneh previously served on the D219 Board of Education from 2021-2023. His current term will expire in April 2027.