Members finalized for new group meant to oversee DeKalb County nursing center

SYCAMORE – Members were finalized this week for a new group meant to oversee operations of the DeKalb County Rehabilitation and Nursing Center.

The remaining seat for the DeKalb County Rehab’s Oversight Board was filled by approval of DeKalb County Board Wednesday. The members from the public are: Kay Riley, Charlotte Hodder, Frank Roberts, Anna Wilhelmi and Mary Hatch. Each member was screened by the County Board’s Ad Hoc Nominating committee and reviewed by the County Board’s Executive Committee.

The approvals were voted in unanimously by the DeKalb County Board.

Janet Berkes, of DeKalb, encouraged the board to vote for the five individuals who’d been nominated for the open seats on the oversight board.

“I want to thank the board and nominating committee and all the work that we’ve all been through over the last however many months for moving the DCRNC forward. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel and the tunnel is not very long,” said Berkes.

The long-term care center has faced more than $7 million in debt brought to light in 2022. After a failed partisan vote in July 2022 to place a referendum in DeKalb County voters’ hands to help determine how to pay for the insolvent facility, the County Board approved a plan to sell the facility to a private buyer for $8.3 million.

That sale was dropped by October 2023, however, when the would-be purchasers informed county officials they intended to back out of the contract. Since then, DeKalb County Board members have worked in united fashion – repeatedly, unanimously approving measures board members believe will help the facility return financial stability.

DeKalb County also filed a lawsuit against the would-be buyers for reneging on the sale. A DeKalb County judge gave the defendants 45 days on Feb. 1 to respond to the lawsuit. No ruling has yet been made.

Hatch, Hodder, Riley, Roberts and Wilhelmi will join four others who were appointed to the oversight board in January 2024. The group was created with an unanimous DeKalb County Board vote at the end of 2023 to help officials navigate the facility’s path back to financial independence.

Rukisha Crawford, a Democrat from District 6, was approved as the Health and Human Services Committee nominee for the oversight board. Jerry Osland, a Republican from District 12, was approved as the Finance and Administration Committee nominee. Rhonda Henke, a Republican from District 1, was approved for the at-large County Board member seat. Abdul El-Jaml, who goes by Brother, was approved to fill the resident council’s slot on the board.

“This mix of people is, I’m going to say it again, exciting to me. I believe that this group of people has the foresight to solve problems as they arise, move the DCRNC forward or take it back to how it used to be,” Berkes said.

This story has been updated to correct an earlier version which misidentified Janet Berkes.