Governor appoints 3 members to Kansas Board of Regents

Gov. Laura Kelly has appointed three new members to the Kansas Board of Regents, the governing body of the state’s six Regents universities and other educational institutions.

The three appointees are Cheryl Harrison-Lee, Jon Rolph and Shellaine “Shelly” Kiblinger, according to a news release Friday from the governor’s office.

Harrison-Lee, of Gardner, recently served as city administrator for the City of Gardner, according to the release. Previously, she served as chief administrative officer for the city of Eatonville, Fla., and as deputy city manager of the City of Daytona Beach, Fla. She received a master’s degree from the University of Florida in Urban and Regional Planning. Harrison-Lee was also a candidate for city manager of Lawrence in 2015 before Tom Markus was hired for the job.

Rolph, of Wichita, is president and CEO of Thrive Restaurant Group, which owns and operates dozens of Applebee’s and Carlos O’Kelly’s Mexican restaurants across the Midwest and Virginia. He graduated from Baylor University, then worked with college student leaders as an intern for the National Student Leadership Forum in Washington, D.C. He returned to Kansas in 2002 to work in the family-owned businesses.

Kiblinger, of Cherryvale, currently serves as superintendent of Cherryvale Public Schools. She previously served as superintendent of Hutchinson Public Schools,from 2011 to 2017, and prior to that served as assistant superintendent of Garden City Public Schools. She has a doctorate in educational administration and leadership from Kansas State University.

“Cheryl, Jon, and Shelly are highly qualified professionals and ready to step up and take on this challenge,” Kelly said in Friday’s news release. “I look forward to their contributions as we work to ensure that our universities thrive.”

The Kansas Board of Regents is a bipartisan nine-member board composed of members who serve for a staggered period of four years. Each member is appointed by the governor, subject to confirmation by the Senate.

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