Sebelius names six to guide future of post-secondary education
Five appointed to Kansas Board of Regents; one reappointed

Success in today’s economy demands that Kansans engage in lifelong learning, including education beyond high school.

The state’s institutions of higher learning are the cornerstone of this effort, making the Kansas Board of Regents – which oversees universities, community colleges and technical schools and colleges – a key part of the state’s long-term success.

To provide new leadership and insight on the board, Governor Kathleen Sebelius today appointed five new members to the Board of Regents, as well as reappointing current board member Donna Shank.

“The decisions we make about post-secondary education today will help to determine whether Kansas continues to grow and prosper,” said Sebelius. “There has never been a time in our history when access to quality education beyond high school has been more important than today. We need to make sure that more Kansas students and adults seek post-secondary opportunities, that more students achieve degrees and acquire the skills necessary for the workforce, and that our colleges and universities remain affordable and accessible to all Kansans.”     

“After an extensive statewide search I have found outstanding candidates who bring broad perspectives and experience to the board.  They are ready to embrace the challenges and work together with the current members to build on the successes of the past and put our state on a path to a future where our institutions of higher learning and our workforce are second to none,” she continued.

The Kansas Board of Regents is the governing body of Kansas’ six state universities.  It also oversees and coordinates 19 community colleges, five technical colleges, a municipal university and six technical schools.

The new appointees are:

Jarold Boettcher, Beloit, is president of Boettcher Enterprises, Inc., Boettcher Supply, Inc., and Boettcher Aerial, Inc., which together employ 90 Kansans in the Beloit area.  He graduated magna cum laude from Kansas State University in 1963 with a Bachelor of Science in nuclear engineering.  Boettcher earned his master’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management in 1966.

Boettcher has served on various committees of the Kansas State University Foundation for more than two decades, including serving as chair of the Executive Committee from 1992 to 1995.  Currently he serves as a trustee with the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System, and his past service with KPERS has included the positions of chair and vice chair. He is being appointed to a four-year term ending June 30, 2011. 

Jill Docking, Wichita, is vice-president of investments with A.G. Edwards and Sons, Inc., in Wichita.  She graduated from the University of Kansas in 1978 with a Bachelor of Arts in history before earning her M.B.A. in 1983.

In 1993, Docking became the first woman to receive a gubernatorial appointment to serve as commanding general of the Kansas Cavalry, a statewide business organization.  She also co-chaired the Kansas Justice Commission and was a member of the KU Alumni Association Board of Directors. Docking will fill a four-year term ending June 30, 2010.

Richard Hedges, Fort Scott, is retired after a lifetime of experience in the field of education, which culminated with a second term as president of Fort Scott Community College.  He graduated from Baker University in 1960, before going on to earn a master’s degree and an Ed.S. from Pittsburg State University. 

Hedges served as a high school teacher, assistant principal and principal, before becoming president of Fort Scott Community College in 1983.  In 1991, he began a new position as vice president of Ward/Kraft Printing, before serving from 1995 to 1999 as director of Johnson County Technical School.  He again served as president of Fort Scott Community College from 1999 to his retirement in 2003.  Hedges will serve a four-year term ending June 30, 2011.

Gary Sherrer, Overland Park, was the 45th lieutenant governor of Kansas, with his service from 1995 to 2003 being the longest any Kansan has served in that post.  During that time he also served as secretary of the Kansas Department of Commerce and was elected chair of the National Association of Lieutenant Governors.

Sherrer has been involved in leadership training and development for more than 25 years and chaired the task force that led to significant improvements in the governance of Kansas’ higher education system.  Sherrer was a founder of Leadership Kansas and in 2000 received the Carl Perkins Humanitarian Award in recognition of his contributions to the advancement of career and technical education.  He is a graduate of Emporia State University and a recipient of both the Award of Excellence and the Distinguished Alumni Award. Trained as a teacher, Sherrer specialized in speech and debate and taught in both Hutchinson and Salina. He was also active in banking and business pursuits in Wichita for many years. He will serve a four-year term ending June 30, 2011.  

William Thornton, Atchison, is currently vice president of quality management and corporate counsel at MGP Ingredients, Inc.  He graduated from Benedictine College in 1980 and Washburn University School of Law in 1992. 

Thornton began his career with Hallmark Cards before joining MGP in 1994.  In addition, he served as an attorney with Duncan-Senecal Law Offices, Chartered, in Atchison from 1995 to 2005.  Thornton is a member of the board of directors of the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, and serves on several local boards, including Citizens for Community Action and the Atchison Hospital Association.  Thornton will fill a four-year term ending June 30, 2010.

Donna Lee Shank, Liberal, is being reappointed to the board after being first appointed in 2002 by Governor Bill Graves.  Since 1984, she has owned and operated an insurance business with her husband.  Shank earned degrees from Seward County Community College in 1995 and Wichita State University in 1998.

Prior to her first term on the board, Shank served on the Kansas Children’s Cabinet, the Kansas Council for the Future of Post-Secondary Education and the board of directors of the Kansas Chamber of Commerce.  Shank will fill a four-year term ending June 30, 2010. 

# # #