--- title: Natika Washington — District 65 School Board url: https://evanstonvoterguide.com/d65/natika-washington/ updated: 2026-10-06 source_policy: every fact carries a numbered source; [n] markers refer to the Sources list --- [Home](https://evanstonvoterguide.com/) / [District 65 School Board](https://evanstonvoterguide.com/d65/) / Natika Washington Photo: Washington’s published board headshot District 65 School Board · Announced · filing opens Nov 16 # Natika Washington Runs the creative strategy agency TOBY. Air Force veteran. [1] ## At a glance - Declared — October 2, 2026.[1] - Occupation — Runs the creative strategy agency TOBY. U.S. Air Force, 1998–2008; former State Department employee. MBA, George Washington University, 2015.[1] - Public office — None found. - Connection to D65 — Oakton Elementary parent; leads the African Centered Curriculum Parent Committee. In Evanston since 2022.[1] - Prior runs — None found. Was one of 28 applicants for the board vacancy filled in February 2026.[2][3] ## Stated priorities From the candidate’s announcement, as reported by the Evanston RoundTable. Listed, not evaluated. - Academics and racial disparities [1] - District finances [1] - Community unity [1] ## Record Facts from public records, campaign filings and published news reports, each checked against its primary source. Same categories and the same review for every candidate. Listed, not evaluated. Last reviewed Tue Oct 6, 2026. ### Campaign finance - 2016–2024: Federal Election Commission records list 10 contributions from Washington between April 2016 and January 2024 totaling $855, counting each contribution routed through ActBlue once and excluding tips to ActBlue, to Hillary for America, the DCCC, Biden for President and the DNC.[4] - Oct 2026: As of Oct. 6, 2026, the Illinois State Board of Elections listed no political committee for her.[5] ### Public office - Apr 2015: A U.S. State Department newsletter identifies her as Director of Global Programs in the Secretary's Office of Global Women's Issues.[6] - 2025–2026: She was one of 28 applicants, and one of four finalists, for a vacant District 65 board seat; the board president said on Dec. 15, 2025 that the board was deadlocked on the appointment, and the regional superintendent appointed Chris Van Nostrand on Feb. 2, 2026.[7][8][9][10] ### Property and taxes - Aug 2022: She bought 404 Barton Ave., Evanston, by trustee's deed dated Aug. 22, 2022 for $295,000, and by quitclaim deed executed Jan. 17, 2023 transferred it to the Natika Shaunette Washington Trust.[11][12] ### Legal and regulatory - 2024–2026: Since Oct. 31, 2024 the U.S. Small Business Administration has listed T.O.B.Y. Agency LLC as a certified Women-Owned Small Business, and as of Oct. 6, 2026 the Illinois Unified Certification Program directory lists it as a certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprise.[13][14] - Jun 2024: The City of Evanston's June 25, 2024 bills list includes a $2,500 Entrepreneurship Support Grant to T.O.B.Y. Agency LLC, the company she describes herself as founding (Tomorrow Owned By You), one of four such grants on that list totaling $7,600.[15][16][8] ### Statements and conduct - Dec 2025: In answers to RoundTable questions posed to the four finalists for the vacant board seat, she described herself as "a decorated veteran of the USAF" and founder and CEO of Tomorrow Owned By You, and named "securing long-term fiscal health, restoring community trust, and ensuring all students receive an academic excellence that supports their different needs" as the district's goals.[8] - Oct 2026: Announcing her candidacy, she said, "I don't think we can normalize the persistent racial disparities that we have with our academic outcomes," and "I'm not scared to ask hard questions, and I've already begun to ask them about our finances."[17] Records reviewed for every candidate Illinois State Board of Elections campaign-finance filings; City of Evanston, District 65 and park-district meeting records and payments; Cook County Assessor property and exemption records; Cook County recorded documents; federal and state court databases; Illinois professional-license and attorney-registration records; the candidate’s own websites and public social media; and Evanston RoundTable, Evanston Now, Daily Northwestern and other news archives. Property-tax exemption records are not yet shown for any candidate; they will be added for all candidates at the same time, once each can be confirmed from the same public tax-bill records. Campaign links - None found as of Tue Oct 6, 2026 Also running · District 65 board - [Dan Coyne](https://evanstonvoterguide.com/d65/dan-coyne/) - [Danny Orrock](https://evanstonvoterguide.com/d65/danny-orrock/) - [Chris Van Nostrand](https://evanstonvoterguide.com/d65/chris-van-nostrand/) - [Natika Washington](https://evanstonvoterguide.com/d65/natika-washington/) How this profile is made Profiles use the same sections, in the same order, for every candidate. Facts come from the candidate’s own campaign materials, official records and published news reports, and each one is footnoted. Positions on specific city plans and votes — such as Envision Evanston 2045 — will be covered for every candidate together in “On the issues.” Candidates can submit information or corrections through the [About page](https://evanstonvoterguide.com/about/#candidates). ## Sources 1. Evanston RoundTable — Two more candidates declare for District 65 school board (Oct. 2, 2026) — https://evanstonroundtable.com/2026/10/02/drafting-two-more-candidates-declare-for-district-65-school-board-october-2/ 2. Evanston RoundTable — District 65 board seat (Nov. 26, 2025) — https://evanstonroundtable.com/2025/11/26/district-65-board-seat/ 3. Evanston RoundTable — Chris Van Nostrand appointed to open District 65 seat (Feb. 2, 2026) — https://evanstonroundtable.com/2026/02/02/chris-van-nostrand-appointed-to-open-district-65-seat/ 4. Federal Election Commission — Individual contributions: Natika Washington, 2015–2024 (accessed Oct. 6, 2026) — https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=natika+washington&two_year_transaction_period=2016&two_year_transaction_period=2018&two_year_transaction_period=2020&two_year_transaction_period=2022&two_year_transaction_period=2024 5. Illinois State Board of Elections — Committee search (accessed Oct. 6, 2026) — https://www.elections.il.gov/CampaignDisclosure/CommitteeSearch.aspx 6. U.S. Department of State — Office of Global Women's Issues: April 2015 Newsletter (Apr. 2015) — https://2009-2017.state.gov/s/gwi/rls/rem/newsletters/2015/240431.htm 7. Evanston RoundTable — 28 candidates apply for vacant District 65 seat (Nov. 26, 2025) — https://evanstonroundtable.com/2025/11/26/district-65-board-seat/ 8. Evanston RoundTable — District 65 board vacancy down to four candidates (Dec. 3, 2025) — https://evanstonroundtable.com/2025/12/03/district-65-board-vacancy-down-to-four-candidates/ 9. Evanston RoundTable — Regional superintendent will appoint Chris Van Nostrand to open District 65 seat, board member says (Dec. 18, 2025) — https://evanstonroundtable.com/2025/12/18/regional-superintendent-will-appoint-chris-van-nostrand-to-open-district-65-seat-board-member-says/ 10. Evanston RoundTable — Chris Van Nostrand appointed to open District 65 seat (Feb. 2, 2026) — https://evanstonroundtable.com/2026/02/02/chris-van-nostrand-appointed-to-open-district-65-seat/ 11. Cook County Assessor — PIN 11-30-105-019-0000 (accessed Oct. 6, 2026) — https://www.cookcountyassessor.com/pin/11301050190000 12. Cook County Clerk — Recordings for PIN 11-30-105-019-0000, docs 2226449046 and 2305829264 (accessed Oct. 6, 2026) — https://crs.cookcountyclerkil.gov/Search/ResultByPin?id1=11301050190000 13. U.S. Small Business Administration — Small Business Search profile, T.O.B.Y. Agency LLC (accessed Oct. 6, 2026) — https://search.certifications.sba.gov/profile/MUPJP3N76K63/8US97 14. Illinois Department of Transportation — Unified Certification Program contractor details, T.O.B.Y. Agency LLC (accessed Oct. 6, 2026) — https://webapps1.dot.illinois.gov/UCP/ExternalContractor/Index?AutoId=113816 15. City of Evanston — Payroll and Bills List memo for the June 25, 2024 bills list (June 24, 2024) — https://cityofevanston.civicweb.net/document/400830/ 16. City of Evanston — M/W/D/EBE Development Committee, mixer update listing T.O.B.Y. Agency LLC and Natika Washington (Sept. 2026) — https://cityofevanston.civicweb.net/document/464406/ 17. Evanston RoundTable — Two more candidates to run for District 65 school board (Oct. 2, 2026) — https://evanstonroundtable.com/2026/10/02/drafting-two-more-candidates-declare-for-district-65-school-board-october-2/