VACKC Appoints New Superintendent Despite Past Budgetary Woes

The Veterans Assistance Commission is making moves with the appointment of Eric Peterson as its new superintendent, effective October 15.

A Superintendent Review Committee was formed in September, and two meetings were held. The first of the two meetings, held September 3, established a job posting to be initially posted internally. Shortly thereafter, a second meeting was held on September 24, with the committee comprising David Allen, Fritz Fritzgerald, Ed Peters, and Dan Horton recommending Peterson as the superintendent.

Peterson was appointed unanimously at the following board meeting.

Peterson, an Illinois Army National Guard veteran who served in the Middle East, is also the CEO of Project Headspace and Timing (PHAT), an organization dedicated to helping veterans. His outreach, advocacy, and work demonstrate his service and dedication to this cause.

Peterson’s organization has worked closely with VAC, and Karen Smietanski, assistant superintendent for the Veterans Assistance Commission, also serves as a chairperson for PHAT. Peterson also worked at VACKC for the past year as a Veteran Service Officer, Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) Mentor Coordinator, and Outreach Specialist.

Earlier this year, VAC received tough criticism from the Kankakee County Board when members questioned their finances, bonus policies, and raises after VAC said they ran out of money to pay their bills. Back in May, Smietanski asked the Kankakee County Executive Committee for a loan to keep operations afloat.

“The VAC is at a point where our funds are running low, and we probably will not make it until we have our first tax levy deposit, which I think last year, came towards the end of July,” Smietanski said at the meeting. “So we’re going to need to work through the inter funds, however that happens, to keep us going.”

When the request was brought up, committee member Colton Ekoff questioned why VAC hadn’t noticed they would not have enough funds. He then brought up that the 2023 budget was $284,392 and this year’s budget $704,863, a marked increase.

“To now come here with just about a month and not have enough money for the remainder of the year, I find that very shocking,” Ekhoff said.

Tinker Parker asked what areas were overspent, and Smietanski claimed VAC had not really overspent. Instead, Smietanski contended they had initially requested more money than they received, leaving them with a deficit.

Smietanski also said the board’s van purchase “threw us for a loop,” as the new van cost about a month’s expenditures. Parker asked if they could sell the buses deemed too costly to use, and Smietanski said they would discuss it at the following meeting. When asked, Smietanski noted they had no financial advisor.

“You giving out a bunch of raises to people?” Committee member John Fetherling asked, seemingly trying to figure out how VAC was overspending.

“No more than anybody else,” Smietanski responded, which then prompted Matt Alexander-Hillbrand to ask Smietanski to list who has received raises.

Smietanski asked if it needed to be “talked about out loud? Does that matter?” before stating she had not taken a raise. At the finance meeting the next day, the County Treasurer would note that Smietanski had taken a bonus.

The back and forth continued at that May Executive Committee meeting, with Smietanski again reiterating the county had not given them the money they wanted, which prompted then-chairman Andy Wheeler to chime in, “You can demand a million dollars, and by what you just said, you’d go spend it, and it would be our fault. That is totally and completely unfair.”

Smietanski continued to reiterate that VAC was very fiscally responsible.

“I find this whole conversation disingenuous,” Wheeler said. “I’m done. I’m a no.” Wheeler’s position was short-lived, as he ended up proposing a solution that would allow for the inter-fund loan, but with stipulations, stating: “I don’t want to hurt the veterans, but I cannot continue to condone misinformation.”

Ultimately, the board voted to approve the inter-fund loan and give the VAC board purview over how the funds were spent. The loan would be available only until tax revenue came in.

The following day, May 29, the Kankakee County Board Finance Committee’s agenda item to approve the loan stirred up even more colorful words for VAC.

Country Treasurer Nick Africano chastised the VAC board for their financial choices.

“As the treasurer of this county, that’s one of the most disgusting things I’ve heard since I started in this job,” Africano said, referring to the bonuses Smietanski and other staff members received.

“There’s no role for bonuses in government. It’s just disgusting, and they should be ashamed of themselves. I will help out, but this will be the only time I help out. I’m helping out because they’re veterans, not because of the employees,” Africano said.

“The board should be ashamed of themselves. The veterans of this community should be pissed,” Africano said calmly but frankly, before apologizing for his choice of language.

At the end of the meeting, Kankakee County Finance Committee Chair Ekoff said he echoed Africano’s statements, adding that “oversight is definitely needed out there.”

The loan didn’t take long to burn a hole in VAC’s pocket. Not less than a full month later at the June 21 meeting, VAC was back to business as usual when the VAC’s budget committee proposed a 3 percent raise for the superintendent position.

The committee included Rich Kuyper, John McGarey, Wayne Burgess, then-Superintendent Michael Peeken, Assistant Superintendent Smietanski, and VSO Ashley Appleton.

The budget was approved at the July board meeting.

If taxpayers, or any member of the public wanted a copy of the VAC’s budget, they’d need to request it, as it is not posted anywhere on the site, nor are agenda packets or any financial information.

Whether Peterson will provide better leadership and transparency at the helm of VAC as superintendent, especially with respect to the budget, still remains to be seen.

When asked what he is most looking forward to accomplishing as Superintendent, Peterson said, “I am looking forward to doing what I love doing, every single day. I love working with the veteran community, whether a fellow veteran, their spouse, children, parents, employers, etc.It is a blessing to be able to be a part of the bridge between the veterans who need support and the resources and communities that are ready and willing to provide that support.”

Peterson explained that he has been and continues to be heavily involved in the veteran community. “Any time a mother recognizes me because of something we had done for their child who happens to be a veteran, or when a veteran sends me a message to let me know that they have been sober for so many days and chose to share that win with me, it is hard to be prouder of much else in terms of my career,” Peterson said.

Smietanski’s responses to questions were less explanatory, however. When asked if the budgetary issues remained and if Peterson’s pay rate would be the same as Peeken’s rate, who had stepped down as Superintendent but who still works with the organization, Smietanski provided one-word answers, indicating that budgetary issues had been resolved and that Peterson’s rate would be different.

Stephanie Irvine is a freelance reporter.