Topeka ? Gov. Mark Parkinson has appointed two new members to the Kansas Board of Regents and re-appointed a third.

Mildred Edwards of Wichita and Tim Emert of Independence were appointed to the nine-member board that oversees higher education in Kansas. And Ed McKechnie of Pittsburg was reappointed after having filled an unexpired term.

“This past legislative session we made a renewed commitment to our Regents institutions, acknowledging that the Kansas economy is only as strong as the higher education opportunities that prepare our workforce for the future,” Parkinson said in a news release Tuesday.

“These newest members of the Board of Regents share that belief and remain committed to seeing our universities and community colleges succeed,” he said

Edwards is the executive director of the Kansas African American Affairs Commission. Emert is a former state senator and Republican majority leader. McKechnie is a former Democratic House member.

McKechnie had replaced William Thornton after Parkinson appointed Thornton in February as the secretary of commerce.

They’ll all serve four-year terms that start July 1. Their appointments are subject to confirmation by the Kansas Senate.

The two departing members are Jill Docking of Wichita, who is chair of the regents, and Donna Shank of Liberal. Both of their terms expire in June. Docking was appointed to the regents by former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius in 2007. Shank was appointed by former Gov. Bill Graves in 2002 and reappointed by Sebelius in 2007.

Having served two terms, Shank was not eligible for reappointment. Docking said she didn’t seek reappointment so that she could tend to her business as a financial adviser.