Sauk board makes offer to presidential finalist

DIXON – The Sauk Valley Community College Board of Trustees has come to a consensus on the school's next president.

Late last week, the board extended an offer to one of three finalists for the position. Scott Stoller, chairman of Sauk's presidential search committee, declined to say who received the offer.

The finalists are Douglas Brauer, current vice president of economic development and innovative workforce solutions at Richland Community College in Decatur; David Gerlach, vice president for advancement at the State University of New York at Canton; and David Hellmich, the vice president of academics at Bluegrass Community and Technical College in Lexington, Kentucky.

One of them will succeed George Mihel, who plans to retire in July after spending the past 10 years as president.

"We have an offer out right now, and we are waiting to finalize that with the candidate," Stoller said Monday, choosing his words carefully. "Everything is still in closed session until we get a yes from the candidate."

Stoller extended an offer to the candidate by phone Thursday evening after a board meeting ended. The college and the candidate have been negotiating details of the contract ever since.

"We just want to make sure we do this correctly," Stoller said. "We have been in constant contact with the candidate."

If the candidate approves Sauk's offer this week, it will go to the board of trustees for approval.

Trustees would vote to make the hire official at a meeting April 27.