The Flathead Valley Community College board of trustees on Monday unanimously appointed Deborah Kish Stephan as the college's next president. 

The appointment is contingent on final approval of her contract, which trustees tabled, delaying a final vote for up to 10 business days while an attorney reviews the proposed contract and trustees can ask questions about its terms. 

Trustee Mark Ruby made the motion after public comment, citing the short turnaround between trustees selecting Stephan after final deliberations on Sept. 22 and the contract brought forward at Monday’s meeting. 

The motion to postpone contract approval passed 4-3, with trustees Kelly Dowling Stimpson, Peter Akey and board chair Callie Langohr dissenting. 

Akey, Stimpson and trustee Jaime Pickering served on the negotiations committee. 

The contract presented to trustees, which was sent to them Sept. 25, was for a three-and-a-half-year term, rolling into one-year extensions thereafter, and included a $250,000 salary, an annual $60,000 housing allowance and an annual $12,000 vehicle allowance. 

Four finalists were considered for the position to replace outgoing president Jane Karas, who is set to retire Dec. 31 after 25 years in the position.   

Karas’ current salary is $260,136, not including other benefits. 

Trustees were divided over whether the postponement was a prudent step before approving the contract or an unnecessary delay that could jeopardize the hiring process. 

Stimpson said the contract followed a template the board had used for years and questioned the need for another review. Karas clarified that an attorney last reviewed the contract 11 years ago and had been carried over five-year contract extensions. 

Ruby and trustee Travis Steindorf raised concerns about using an 11-year-old template for a new president’s contract. Ruby said it was his first time hiring a community college president and that his motion was not rooted in distrust. Karas has been at the helm for 25 years. 

Trustee Mary Sterhan said she wanted a clearer understanding of the contract terms and their implications so she could be prepared to explain or defend them to staff and students, mentioning compensation. 

“I would like the opportunity to discuss with the attorney what our options are with respect to the terms of the current contract, because I think there are things that were a surprise ... at least to me, that were in there and I worry about the implications for our faculty and staff for some pieces of them,” Sterhan said without specifying which terms. 

Steindorf said the unanswered questions warranted a pause. 

Akey said that while he understood the concerns, he worried a delay could result in Stephan turning down the position, saying time is of the essence. 

“I will tell you that the contract negotiation team that was set forth by this board operated in good faith to bring forth what we have here,” Akey said. “We went through a very deliberative, long, detailed process where many stakeholders were allowed to weigh their concerns; weigh their viewpoints; weigh their issues.” 

Ruby also clarified that he was not proposing renegotiating compensation amounts when Stimpson raised the question. 

During public comment at the start of the meeting, Conrad Rauscher, vice chair of the FVCC Education Association, the faculty union, said the decision-making process lacked transparency. He also reiterated ongoing concerns about the compensation differences between faculty and administrators, citing the president and director of human resources compensation packages and their respective pay increases over the past seven years. 

“The candidate you chose does not have broad support for the employees of this campus. The real conversation seems to have happened behind closed doors,” Rauscher said. 

Karas responded to Rauscher’s assertion that she privately met with each candidate and shared her views with trustees in closed session, saying it is typical for sitting college presidents to meet with candidates. She said the board asked her to share only what she observed and that she was not involved in deliberations or present for them. 

“So, I don’t feel I had an undue influence on the board,” Karas said. 

FVCC’s search for a new president began after Karas announced her retirement in February. In March, the board hired consultants from the nonprofit Association of Community College Trustees to lead the search. A 13-member presidential search committee reviewed applications and selected finalists. 

Interviews and public community forums were held Sept. 14-17. Following each interview, candidates were invited to join trustees for dinner. 

The board selected Stephan to succeed Karas when deliberations concluded Sept. 22, pending final approval of her appointment and contract. 

Langohr said the debate reflected the weight of the decision and trustees’ responsibility to review the process carefully. 

“I am very optimistic we're going to get through this, and we will have an incredible leader for the future of the college,” Langohr said. 

Karas’ last day as president is Dec. 31. 

Reporter Hilary Matheson can be reached at 406-758-4431 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.