DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - Bobbi Williams has been chosen as the new interim superintendent for Decatur Public Schools. 

A 6-1 vote Tuesday night approved her appointment to the position. The only board member to vote no was Alana Giselle Banks. 

Williams has a history of serving in the DPS district that spans decades. She served as an assistant superintendent beginning in May 2014, and had served as a teacher at DPS beginning in August of 1984. Before becoming interim superintendent, Williams was a principal and director of special programs. 

In 2016, Williams was appointed by the board to serve an interim co-superintendent with Mike Dugan and was in that role in 2016 and 2017, before Dr. Paul Fregeau was hired as superintendent. They took over for Lisa Taylor, who left to be a principal in the Heyworth School District. 

Williams retired from the district in the summer of 2019. 

She will step in after Fregeau leaves at the end of June. Following June 30, he will become superintendent of the Fox C-6 School District in the St. Louis area. 

Multiple people approached the podium during public comment Tuesday night voicing support for Jeff Dase, a current assistant superintendent with DPS, becoming interim superintendent. At least one person spoke against hiring Dase.

A DPS statement after Williams' appointment was approved said the following: 

"In making its selection of an interim superintendent, the DPS Board of Education requested a list of names from the State Board of Education of those qualified to serve in an interim leadership role. That list included 10 names. The Board also sought suggestions from others familiar with the process. A total of 13 individuals were considered for the interim position. Those individuals were screened down to four, one who later withdrew due to the extension of their current position as an interim superintendent.

"Each Board member reviewed the resumes from each of the four final candidates. In-person interviews were offered, if requested by Board members; however, none of the board members requested those interviews. Each Board member made their decision independently and a preliminary consensus was reached to offer Ms. Williams the Interim Superintendent position. Tonight’s vote during the Board of Education meeting confirmed that consensus.

"As Ms. Williams is retired, per state statute she is only permitted to work a total of 100 days during a fiscal year. The search for a permanent Superintendent will commence as soon as possible, led by search firm Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates (HYA)."

HYA offered a presentation Tuesday night explaining its process for hiring a superintendent. A search team of Dr. Max McGee, who is president of HYA, and Dr. Connie Collins talked about the process for the upcoming superintendent search. 

The company said the process includes an engage phase, a recruit phase, a select phase and a transition phase. The process takes about three to four months, HYA estimated, and will carry a cost of $24,950 if the DPS board gives the firm final approval. 

HYA said it involves feedback from all stakeholders in a search, including focus groups with students, teachers and administrators, parent groups and other community entities. There are also individual interviews with board members, the current superintendent and cabinet members, community leaders and the foundation chair. 

HVA was involved multiple past searches for administrators with DPS and helped hire Dase to the district.Â