A former newsman and a business lobbyist have joined the staff of Commissioner of Higher Education Wm. Rolfe Kerr.
Lee Roderick, former news director at KSL-TV, is the new director of media relations.Patricia Simmons Crane, former director of government affairs for the Salt Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, is the director of government relations and will coordinate higher education's lobbying efforts. Currently, the positions are part-time.
They replace Vicki Varela, assistant commissioner of higher education for media and government relations. She resigned in December to become Gov. Mike Leavitt's deputy for communications.
Roderick became KSL-TV's news director in 1990. He left KSL in December when his position was eliminated because of the consolidation of the radio and television news operations. Crane has lobbied for the chamber for the past three years.