Topeka ? Gov. Kathleen Sebelius on Thursday picked a couple of familiar political figures for the Kansas Board of Regents to help lead what she said would be a critical effort to ensure more Kansans have access to higher education.

“The decisions we make about postsecondary education today will help determine whether Kansas continues to grow and prosper,” Sebelius said.

Among the new appointees to the regents are former Lt. Gov. Gary Sherrer and Jill Docking.

Sherrer, of Overland Park, served as lieutenant governor from 1995 to 2003 under former Gov. Bill Graves. During his tenure, one of his main focuses was higher education reform. He often clashed with conservatives in his own Republican Party.

Docking, of Wichita, is vice president of investments with A.G. Edwards and Sons Inc.

She was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in 1996 against Sam Brownback, a Republican. She is married to Tom Docking, a former lieutenant governor, and is the daughter-in-law of the late Bob Docking, who served as governor from 1967 to 1975. Her brother-in-law, William Docking, served on the regents from 1995 to 2005, including two stints as chairman.

Broad perspectives

Sebelius said her appointments offered a broad range of experience.

“There has never been a time in our history when access to a quality education beyond high school has been more important than today,” Sebelius said.

Sebelius had come under some criticism for waiting so long to make appointments to the Board of Regents, which oversees higher education in Kansas.

Three terms expired in June 2006 while three more expire at the end of this month.

The regents have been under fire lately from some lawmakers who said they failed to closely monitor affiliation negotiations between Kansas University Medical Center and St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, Mo. KU Hospital, which is the medical center’s partner, has claimed it could be hurt by an affiliation between the medical center and St. Luke’s.

The regents also have been criticized for approving double-digit tuition increases for KU and the other five state universities during the past five years.

During its last session, the Legislature approved a plan to address a backlog of maintenance and repairs at universities, but the regents said the plan fell far short of what was needed.

New emphasis

In recent weeks, Sebelius and higher education officials have talked about a new push to more closely link Kansas’ postsecondary system to the state’s economic needs.

“That’s the long-term goal, to do a better job of engaging the community about the relevance of higher education,” said regents vice chairwoman Christine Downey-Schmidt of Inman, who presumably will become chairwoman.

In addition to Sherrer and Docking, the new appointees to the nine-member board are:

¢ Jarold Boettcher, Beloit, president of several Beloit-area companies.

¢ Richard Hedges, Fort Scott, a retired educator and former president of Fort Scott Community College.

¢ William Thornton, Atchison, vice president of quality management and corporate counsel for MGP Ingredients Inc.

Sebelius also reappointed Donna Lee Shank, Liberal, who owns and operates an insurance business with her husband.

The appointments are subject to Senate confirmation. The terms of Boettcher, Hedges and Sherrer will expire June 30, 2011, while the terms of Docking, Thornton and Shank expire June 30, 2010.

The new members will replace Janice DeBauge of Emporia who has served two four-year terms and was chairwoman of the board in 2003-04; Frank Gaines of Hamilton, who has been on the board since 2003; Nelson Galle of Manhattan, the current chairman who also has been on the board since 2003; and Jim Grier of Wichita, who was appointed to the board in 2002.

Another position has been open after the resignation in March of Dick Bond of Overland Park, who is recuperating from back surgery.

In addition to Shank and Downey-Schmidt, also remaining on the board are Juana “Janie” Perkins of Garden City and Dan Lykins of Topeka.

The board will be evenly split along political lines. Docking, Downey-Schmidt, Lykins and Thornton are Democrats, while Boettcher, Perkins, Shank and Sherrer are Republicans, and Hedges is an independent.

No more than five people from one political party can serve on the board.