Topeka ? Former Senate President Dick Bond and two other new appointees can serve on the Board of Regents until the Senate takes a vote next year on their confirmations.

The Senate Confirmations Oversight Committee endorsed Gov. Bill Graves’ appointments of Bond, of Overland Park, a banker; James R. Grier III, of Wichita, the chairman and chief executive officer of Martin K. Eby Construction Co.; and Donna Shank, of Liberal, co-owner of an insurance agency. All three begin four-year terms Monday.

The committee’s endorsements came Friday on unanimous voice votes and allow the regents to serve until the entire Senate can consider their appointments. The nine-member Board of Regents oversees the higher-education system.

Bond’s appointment had drawn criticism from two conservative Republican senators, because the former Senate president was a moderate leader in the Legislature and remains active in moderate GOP circles.

However, no hint of that controversy arose in Friday’s committee meeting.

“If you stop and look at that group of people and the accomplishments they’ve had, it really is an impressive group of people,” said Sen. Les Donovan, R-Wichita.

The new regents’ appointments won’t come before the entire Senate until after a new governor takes office. Graves’ term expires the same day lawmakers convene their 2003 session.

That situation has led to questions of whether a new governor would want his or her own appointee on the regents, particularly in Bond’s case, given his political visibility in the past.

“Not everybody’s liked by everybody else I understand that,” said Senate Majority Leader Lana Oleen, R-Manhattan, the committee’s chairwoman. “But qualifications should speaker louder than personal preferences.”

She added: “Dick Bond’s reputation is based on his advocacy of public education. There couldn’t be a more vocal advocate. It’s a perfect fit.”

Bond replaces the board’s chairman, Clay Blair III, of Olathe, the owner of a real estate investment and development company. Blair has been widely praised by legislators for bringing energy to the board, being a vocal advocate for higher education and being open with lawmakers. The board on Thursday elected former Rep. Jack Wempe of Lyons as chairman, succeeding Blair.

Bond served 14 years in the Senate before deciding not to seek re-election in 2000.

He chairs the advisory board for the Johnson County campus of Kansas University and has served on the board of the Johnson County Community College Foundation, which raises money for the institution and for student scholarships.

He had worked as an aide to three Republican congressmen when then-Gov. Mike Hayden appointed him to the Senate in 1986. Bond won his first full term in 1988 and was re-elected in 1992 and 1996. He became Senate president in 1997.

“I think Sen. Bond’s knowledge, experience and demonstrated support of higher education will be extremely valuable for the Kansas Board of Regents,” said Regent Lew Ferguson of Topeka.