A nominating committee has chosen three finalists for a spot on the state Board of Higher Education.
This is to fill the vacancy on the board due to the resignation of Dan Traynor.
The five member committee is made up of state school superintendent Kirsten Baesler, Chief Justice Jon Jensen, House Speaker Lawrence Klemin, Senate President Pro Tem Oley Larsen and North Dakota United President Nick Archuleta.
The committee chose Danita Bye of Stanley, Bruce Gjovig of Grand Forks and Taylor Olson of Wiliston – and those names will be forwarded to Governor Burgum, who will select one.
Thirteen people had applied.
Baesler said she was impressed with the applicant pool, as well as the candor of the committee’s discussion.
"It's been interesting, to see the perspectives," Baesler said. "The concentration and emphasis the nominating committee placed on developing a North Dakota workforce, and making sure we had people on the Board that had a broad perspective of what our state needed, as far as our University System."
There will be another opening on the board this summer, as Don Morton has served his two terms. Baesler said a call for applications will go out fairly soon for that position.
"My office will reach out to those applicants that didn't make this list, and will ask them if they want to resubmit their name and have their applications carried over," Baesler said. "We don't want to expend energy on something they had just completed.
Baesler said those who choose to do so will have the opportunity to "beef up" their applications.
