Former Board Member & B.E.S.T Foundation Founder Jill Lewis Passes Away

From the Inver Grove Heights Schools:

June 9, 2020

Inver Grove Heights Schools, Intermediate School District 917, and their communities are mourning the passing of Jill Lewis, founding and executive committee member of the Inver Grove Heights B.E.S.T. Foundation and long-time board member. Jill passed away on Sunday, June 7, after a 2-year battle with pancreatic cancer.

Jill served on the ISD 199 School Board for 15 years, serving as chairperson for 7 years. She became the representative for Inver Grove Heights as a member on the ISD 917 School Board in 1995. She was chairperson of the 917 School Board from 1999 until her passing. Jill was an integral part of serving Inver Grove Heights students for 40 years.

She was the inspiring and sustaining force behind the Inver Grove Heights B.E.S.T. Foundation, which provides scholarships to Simley High School graduates. She was stellar and steadfast in her commitment to support Simley High School graduates with scholarships to assist their post-high school dreams and aspirations. Jill’s vision and leadership in the B.E.S.T. Foundation served as a community builder while instilling significant pride in our school district and greater community. Under her leadership from 1987-2018, the IGH B.E.S.T. Foundation awarded more than $3 million in scholarships to Simley High School graduates.

Jill was devoted to students, learning, and her community. She inspired others to get involved to support students so they could excel. Her wit and determination made things happen for kids. We are all better because of Jill’s devotion to education and our community. Words cannot express how important she was to the Inver Grove Heights Schools and Intermediate School District 917 communities. She will be deeply missed.

A celebration of life will be held later. In lieu of memorials, the family requests gifts to:

• Project Purple, funding pancreatic cancer research and patient financial aid: http://tinyurl.com/projpurple
• Old Salem Shrine: https://www.oldsalemshrine.org/
• Inver Grove Heights BEST Foundation: https://ighbestfoundation.com/donate

This press release was produced by the Inver Grove Heights Schools. The views expressed here are the author’s own.