A whole new cast of characters could fill Utah's higher education decisionmaking circles this summer because the terms are up for six members of the Utah State Board of Regents and Commissioner Wm. Rolfe Kerr is leaving.
Kerr will become a mission president in Dallas for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Cecilia Foxley, now the assistant commissioner of higher education, will take his job.Gov. Mike Leavitt, a former regent, could reappoint board members or replace them.
Terms expire July 1 for regents Larry D. Cox, Logan; Fred H. Stringham, Bountiful; and Ian M. Cumming, Robert D. Hales, Evelyn B. Lee and Dale O. Zabriskie, all of Salt Lake City.
Stringham will become an LDS mission president in Houston.
Cox, a student, will be replaced as a matter of course because student regents serve only one-year terms.
The governor has not decided what he will do regarding the appointments but is giving them considerable thought, according to Vicki Varela, the governor's spokeswoman. So far, more than 60 people have applied or been nominated for the six-year terms.
"There probably are many other people out there who haven't formally applied, but who have made it pretty clear that they'd love to do that job," Varela said.
"Someone introduced himself to the governor recently and said (jokingly), `Hi, I'm so-and-so and I don't want to be on the board of regents.' "
Varela said she didn't know if Leavitt has asked current regents if they want to serve another term. She said the governor is weighing many factors before making any decisions, including such things as length of service, diversity in the board's makeup and whether individuals are "in sync" with Leavitt's higher education agenda.
"I think he'll go right up close to July 1 before he makes the announcement. If any of them are replaced, you want them to serve their full terms rather than becoming lame ducks sooner than they have to," Varela said. "The governor doesn't want to diminish their role."