The three candidates selected as finalists for the position of director of the Dane County 911 Center were submitted to the Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk Tuesday for consideration.

The three finalists for the position are John Dejung of Minnesota, Eddie Goldsmith of Idaho and Phillip Vorlander of Iowa.

The list of 10 possible contenders for the director position was narrowed down by the Public Safety Communication Center Board, Falk spokesperson Josh Wescott said in an e-mail to The Badger Herald.

At the Board’s Tuesday meeting, they conducted interviews with each of the 10 candidates. Wescott added the three finalists were interviewed by Falk Wednesday.

Dane County officials conducted an extensive national search for qualified contenders to fill the position, according to a release about the three final candidates. The release added Mercer Group, Inc., an organization that specializes in public sector executive searches, assisted with the search and screening of potential directors of the center.

On Sept. 7, Joe Norwick, former director of the 911 Center since July 2007, resigned from his post after facing scrutiny over the center’s mishandling of a call placed from the cell phone of University of Wisconsin junior Brittany Zimmermann on April 2, the day she was found dead.

Director of Dane County Emergency Management Kathy Krusiec is currently the interim director of the 911 Center. She will hold the job until a new candidate is selected.

In previous interviews with The Badger Herald, Falk said she hopes to have a new director in the Center by the beginning of April.

Wescott added background checks of the three candidates will now be performed and once a director is selected, contract negotiations will commence.

“We absolutely want somebody who has experience. We want someone who knows what it takes to be the director,” said Nancy Mistele, Falk’s challenger for Dane County executive in the upcoming April 7 election.

Due to the importance of the selection, Wescott said he anticipates the announcement of a new 911 Center director will not be made until next week.