Kommer, Schauer, Scherr Are Finalists for ND Higher Ed Board

Gov. Kelly Armstrong will have three finalists to choose from for a vacancy on the North Dakota Board of Higher Education.

A nominating committee on Tuesday agreed to forward three names for the governor to consider in filling the opening. The finalists are:

• Michelle Kommer, Fargo, a human resources and employee benefits consultant, who is a former state commerce and labor commissioner and director of Job Service North Dakota;
• Stan Schauer, Bismarck, director of assessments, North Dakota Department of Public Instruction; and
• Darin Scherr, Bismarck, business and operations manager for the Bismarck school district.

Armstrong's choice will succeed Levi Bachmeier, who resigned from the board in November when he took office as North Dakota's new superintendent of public instruction. The new board member will be responsible for completing Bachmeier's four-year term on the board, which ends June 30, 2029.

The new board member will begin serving immediately after the governor's appointment, but his pick must eventually be confirmed by the North Dakota Senate to allow him or her to continue.

The nominating committee's membership is outlined in the North Dakota Constitution. It is made up of Bachmeier, who is superintendent of public instruction; Nick Archuleta, president of North Dakota United, which represents educators and public employees; Supreme Court Chief Justice Lisa Fair McEvers; state Sen. Kyle Davison, R-Fargo, the Senate's president pro tempore; and North Dakota House Speaker Robin Weisz, R-Hurdsfield.

The Board of Higher Education oversees and sets policy for the 11 institutions in North Dakota's university system.