EVANSVILLE – Both college and secondary teachers in Evansville have spent years fighting for raises.
But according to Indiana’s public salary databases, administrators are doing well.
Eight of the 10 highest paid public employees in Vanderburgh County last year worked in the upper echelons of education, either as leaders at the University of Southern Indiana and Ivy Tech or the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp.
The previous list: USI president, EVSC superintendent top list of county's top paid public employees in 2020
A ninth was a college professor. The only non-education employee to make the list was Rick Moore, the executive director of the Evansville Housing Authority.
In all, the top-10 earners made about $93,000 more than they did in 2020.
The list below only includes public employees, which means administrators at the University of Evansville, a private institution, aren’t included. Private business leaders don’t qualify either.
If we missed anyone who should have been included, let us know.
1. Ronald Rochon
Job: President, University of Southern Indiana
Compensation: $342,499
At first glance, it looked like Rochon saw a sizable pay cut in 2021.
His salary came in at $302,750 – about $28,000 less than he made in 2020. But his compensation was boosted by several things.
The biggest was a $2,500 housing stipend he received each month. The university has long maintained a 5,500-square foot, four-bedroom house for its presidents, but Rochon lives off campus, USI spokeswoman Kindra Strupp said.
He also received a $9,199 bonus.
Some USI faculty and staff could be in line for a 3 percent merit raise in 2022. But faculty members who spoke the Courier & Press said even if they got the pay bump, it wouldn’t do them much good. It's less than half of the current 7.5 percent inflation rate. And it could dwarf raises that may be coming for some coaches as USI transitions to Division I athletics.
For subscribers: Will the USI move to DI athletics worsen the school's problems?
2. David Smith
Job: Superintendent, Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp.
Compensation: $266,021
Smith continued his run as one of the highest-paid superintendents in the state, taking in about $8,000 more than he did in 2020.
The EVSC and Evansville Teachers Association signed a collective bargaining agreement in 2021 that will boost teachers’ average salaries by about $3,000 over the next two years. Even with that, teacher pay in the EVSC lags behind most school systems in the state.
3. Mohammed Khayum
Job: USI provost
Compensation: $227,250
4. Steve Bridges
Job: USI vice president for finance and administration
Compensation: $200,556
5. Rick Moore
Job: Executive director of the Evansville Housing Authority
Compensation: $184,746
6. Daniela Vidal
Job: Chancellor of Ivy Tech Community College Evansville
Compensation: $179,190
6. Daniela Vidal
Vidal is the highest-paid woman among public sector employees in the county. Last year was the first year she drew her full salary after taking the job in March 2020.
Compensation: $179,190
7. Thomas Noland
Job: USI accounting professor/chair of finance and accounting
Compensation: $177,318
Noland joined the USI faculty in the fall of 2020. According to a biography on the university's website, he previously worked as an “academic fellow” in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, among other jobs.
8. Cathy Carey
Job: Dean of USI’s Romain College of Business
Compensation: $175,503
9. Ann White
Job: Dean of USI’s College of Nursing and Health Professions
Compensation: $171,624
10. Zane Mitchell
Job: Dean of USI’s Pott College of Science, Engineering and Education
Compensation: $169,161