Koeppel hired as new full-time county administrator

The Kendall County Board voted unanimously Tuesday to hire Scott Koeppel as its new county administrator.

Koeppel had been serving as the acting county administrator since former administrator Jeff Wilkins left the county in May.

The board voted 9-0 to hire Koeppel with a contract starting Dec. 1, 2017 and ending Nov. 30, 2020. Board member Tony Giles was absent from Tuesday's meeting.

Koeppel will make $122,000 a year salary, according to the contract.

Wilkins' salary when he left the county's employment was $122,950, according to the county treasurer's office.

Koeppel was hired by the county in August of 2015 as the technology services director.

Prior to being hired by Kendall County, Koeppel held intormation technology positions at McLean County and Livingston County.

Koeppel earned a bachelor of applied science degree in information technology in 2001 from Illinois State University in Normal. He is an alum of LaSalle Peru High School.

County Board Chairman Scott Gryder said Tuesday that hiring a new administrator was part of a process of "revamping" the county's administrative services department.

"This is step two in our process of revamping the Administrative Services (department)," Gryder said. "We're talking about continuing that and creating a sort of deputy administrator position as well."

Gryder said he has heard from people around the county who have worked with Koeppel that he's great to work with both in his administrator capacity and as a technology services director.

"He's just going to get better and better, and I'm excited to see what he can do," Gryder said.

Gryder also said Tuesday that the board will soon begin the process to hire a new full-time technology services director.

In related business Tuesday, the board approved the yearly salary of the public defender at $149,857.20, and the supervisor of assessments at $85,900.