Gov. Walz selects four new University of Minnesota regents

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz appointed four new members to the University of Minnesota Board of Regents Tuesday, marking a rare gubernatorial appointment of members that are typically selected by the Legislature.

Walz said the board was “gaining four accomplished, knowledgeable and dedicated leaders.”

“They will bring a wide range of experiences and perspectives, united by a deep commitment to the university’s mission,” Walz said in a statement. “Their leadership will be critical as the Board addresses current challenges and shapes the university’s future.”

The 12-member board includes eight members who represent each of the state’s congressional districts and four at-large members, including one student.

Walz chose Ellen Luger, former minister counselor for agriculture at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, to represent the Fifth Congressional District, which includes Minneapolis. Luger holds a bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College and a law degree from Georgetown University.

For two at-large seats, Walz selected Joel Bergstrom, a principal at an executive employee search group, and Samuel Heins, a retired U.S. ambassador to Norway.

Bergstrom has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota and a law degree from New York University. Heins has both a bachelor’s degree and law degree from the U.

The board is tasked with guiding policy and setting budgets for all of the university system campuses and drew scrutiny earlier this year for a budget that increased tuition while making cuts to academic programs. The board also passed a controversial resolution on faculty speech that drew outrage from professors.

It’s unusual for the governor to appoint regents. Typically, candidates apply for a position on the board and an advisory council makes recommendations to a joint legislative committee. That committee usually recommends candidates for a vote of the full Minnesota Legislature, but the normal process stalled out this spring during the legislative session. The governor can select appointees to serve until the Legislature acts.

Minnesota House Republican Floor Leader Harry Niska said Walz and legislative Democrats refused to follow the Legislature’s process to “ensure the most qualified candidates are chosen.”

“As a result, these appointments raise concerns that the seats are being handed out as rewards to campaign donors rather than being filled on merit,” Niska said in a statement. “Regents are meant to represent all of Minnesota, not one political party.”