THE FOLLOWING IS A DANVILLE AREA COMMUNITY COLLEGE RELEASE
DANVILLE, IL, Apr. 2, 2024 – The Danville Area Community College Board of Trustees evidently likes the progress they’ve seen at the College…and want at least four more years of it.
During the Board’s Mar. 28 meeting, DACC Trustees voted unanimously to extend Dr. Stephen Nacco’s presidency through June 30, 2028. His current contract was set to expire this coming June.
Nacco’s new contract essentially extends the current contract while maintaining an annual 1- percent salary increase. All other provisions remain the same as the expiring contract except the increase from $4,000 to $6,000 annually in a supplemental fund.
Nacco joined DACC as president nearly eight years ago. Under his leadership, DACC has implemented a number of creative ways of boosting enrollment, managing finances, supporting the Foundation’s scholarships, and improving the graduation rate. DACC faculty and staff have grown increasingly diverse, while the percentage of African American students has grown by more than 10 percent since 2018. Nacco has also guided the College through two successful accreditation visits by the Higher Learning Commission—most recently last month during a mid-cycle review.
Board Chair Dave Harby especially appreciates how Nacco has infused a new energy and vitality to the DACC staff. He says, “Dr. Nacco knows to surround himself with good people. In hiring Dr. (Carl) Bridges and appointing him as provost, he has someone with the experience and talent for integrating the College’s academic programs and student services. Dr. Nacco relies on the vice presidents and Cabinet members to build a winning team at DACC. He has a collaborative leadership style. As I’ve often heard him say, ‘I’m not smart. But when we all put our heads together, we’re geniuses.’”
Chair Harby also appreciates Nacco’s respect for the board’s role at DACC. He says, “Dr. Nacco is a master of ‘overcommunication’—if that’s a word. As the governing board of the College, we greatly value Dr. Nacco’s regular interactions and communication with us collectively as trustees. Frankly, too, we appreciate that Dr. Nacco and his wife Cindy are very much involved in our community, serving on several boards and helping with civic groups.”
Nacco says he’s grateful to the Board for their staunch support. “They’ve been everything a board ought to be—engaged, involved, and thoroughly committed to the success of the College and our students. They’ve demonstrated that they understand their role in overseeing the College from a macro level while leaving the day-to-day work to the good people we hire as faculty and staff.”
As for his public persona, Nacco says that he and his wife consider their involvement in public activities to be a labor of love. “We love Danville. We live here and care deeply about this City and County. By far and away, this is the best place Cindy and I have ever lived. We’re grateful to the people here for how welcome they make us feel. As for DACC, this College that Mary Miller founded continues to play an enormously important role in improving the quality of residents’ lives and the viability of local businesses. When our students succeed, our community flourishes.”
Nacco has indicated that he will sign his new contract on Apr. 8, prior to a board of trustees’ strategic-planning retreat in the College’s recently configured HyFlex classroom.
