It didn’t take long for members of the Kansas Board of Regents to find what they were looking for in a new president and CEO.

According to the draft minutes from the regents special meeting on Friday, Jill Docking called the meeting to order at 9:04 a.m. Board members discussed the characteristics they were looking for in their next president and CEO for less than 20 minutes before going into executive session to interview a candidate. They returned to open session at 12:16 p.m., offered the CEO job to Andy Tompkins and adjourned at 12:21 p.m.

Tompkins, the former Kansas commissioner of education and current dean of the Pittsburg State University school of education was the only person they interviewed. While the hiring came quickly, there was no real reason to look further. Tompkins is a great choice.

It was announced on Feb. 12 that Reggie Robinson would leave the CEO position for a new job at Washburn University. Robinson will leave, and Tompkins will come on board in June.

Tompkins comes with impressive credentials. He was education commissioner from 1996 to 2005, leaving that position when the state board of education was divided and battling over the teaching of evolution and other issues. He was briefly an associate professor in Kansas University’s educational leadership program before going to Pittsburg State in 2007.

Although the CEO’s job is to carry out the directions of the regents, board members also depend on that person to bring them good ideas and innovative strategies to benefit higher education in the state. Tompkins isn’t a politician, but, after weathering a decade with the state board of education, he understands the politics.

It isn’t known how Tompkins and the regents connected, but their quick action shows that board members had no reservations about their choice. The fact that Tompkins accepted the job immediately, even before his pay and benefits were finalized, indicates it’s a job he was sure he wanted.

Perhaps even more important than the formal credentials Tompkins brings to this job is his infectious enthusiasm for education. He had been involved in all levels of public education and he understands how to work within the state bureaucracy. The combination of optimism and expertise he brings to the job will serve the regents well.