Kaskaskia College Board of Trustees Names Paramedicine Student Lab in Honor of Elaine Bost Froehly

CENTRALIA, IL - The Kaskaskia College Board of Trustees held its regular monthly meeting on Monday, May 18, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at the Trenton Education Center. Trustees present included Chairman John W. Bill Hawley (Odin), Louis Kalert (Centralia), Linda Stover (Centralia), Bryan Holthaus (Carlyle), and Craig Finke (Nashville). Trustees Laura Wedekemper (Shattuc) and Jim Beasley (Centralia) were absent.

During the meeting, the Board approved the naming of the Paramedicine Student Lab at the Vandalia Education Center in honor of Elaine Bost Froehly. The lab will officially be designated as the Elaine Bost Froehly Simulation Lab in recognition of her lasting contributions to healthcare and her support of students pursuing careers in paramedicine and the broader medical field.

Trustees also approved the collective bargaining agreement between Kaskaskia College and the Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council for 2026-2029. Hawk Kershaw, representing the Mid-America Carpenters Union Regional Council, joined Chairman John W. Bill Hawley in formally signing the agreement during the meeting.

In addition to the facility naming, the Board approved several personnel recommendations and operational initiatives supporting the College's continued growth and student success.

Among the personnel actions approved were second-year probationary recommendations to third years for Nathan Young (Arts and Sciences), Darrell Johnson (Career and Technical Education), and Tori Lueke (Health Sciences), along with tenure recommendations for Dr. Cody Paul (Arts and Sciences) and Mary Beth Suedmeyer (Health Sciences).

The Board also approved a 4% base salary adjustment for non-collective bargaining employees for Fiscal Year 2026-2027, along with a $500 incentive payment tied to the College's achievement of 65,395 reimbursable credit hours during the 2025-2026 academic year. Trustees additionally approved future credit hour goals through the 2029-2030 academic year.

Several instructional services position reclassifications were approved effective July 1, 2026, as part of an effort to better align staffing structures and operational responsibilities across academic and student support services.

Additional personnel actions included:

• Reclassification of Cari Butts to tenured Assistant Professor of Cosmetology, effective August 12, 2026.
• Reclassification of Eric Howard to a tenured Assistant Professor of Welding.
• Approval of Kevin Wheeler as a tenured faculty member in Automotive Technology.
• Approval of Lynsey Thoele as Assistant Professor of Biology, effective August 12, 2026.
• Modification of KC Assistant Professor of Respiratory Therapy Tara Garner's employment start date to June 1, 2026.

The Board also adopted a resolution authorizing the College to proceed with soliciting bids for the purchase of a new 24-passenger bus to support athletic and student transportation needs.

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Kaskaskia College Board of Trustees will be held at 6:30 p.m. on June 22, 2026, on the College's main campus.