By DEBORAH GERTZ HUSAR

Herald-Whig Staff Writer

PAYSON, Ill. -- The Payson School District has a new superintendent: Donna Veile.

Veile, the junior high principal at Camp Point Central, takes over July 1 in the job now held by Rodger Hannel. Hannel retires at the end of the school year on June 30.

"She just was a good fit for our district," Payson School Board President Dennis Huber said. "I can't really say enough how pleased we are she accepted the position."

Some details still need to be finalized, but Huber expects to have a multi-year contract in place with Veile.

The position was advertised at a $110,000 total package salary.

The School Board advertised the superintendent's job on its own and got 12 to 14 candidates.

Huber said the board did it's own screening. "We ... got down to probably six, then when we called, we found a couple already had taken positions somewhere else," Huber said. "The four candidates we had we really were pleased with. (The choice) was difficult, but we felt for our district at this time, Donna would be the one that we needed."

Veile, 37, was named principal of Central Junior High School in 2006. She previously worked as counselor at Central High School in Camp Point from 2002 to 2006 and taught math at Quincy Junior High School from 1995 to 2002.

She graduated from Quincy High School in 1991, received a bachelor's degree in elementary education and math from Quincy University in 1995 and a master's degree in counseling from Western Illinois University in 2002. She has received administrator and superintendent certificates and is working on a doctorate degree.

In the November election, Veile unsuccessfully challenged Debbie Niederhauser for a four-year term as regional superintendent of schools for Adams and Pike counties.

Veile and her husband, Brian, live near Fowler.

Hannel's leadership over the past 11 years took the district to "where we're really comfortable," Huber said. "We think she'll take it at that level and go higher."

Hannel served both the Payson district and the neighboring Western district formed by the consolidation of the former Barry and West Pike districts.

"If Rodger wouldn't be retiring, we wouldn't be doing anything. I can't say enough about Rodger and what he has done for the Payson district over the last 11 years," Huber said. "I know he's done a good job for us. I'm sure he's done the same for Western."