Meet the Two Inspiring Grand Forks Residents Competing for the State Board of Higher Education

Two residents from Grand Forks are in the running for seats on North Dakota’s Board of Higher Education. State School Superintendent Kirsten Baesler shared that they are among six finalists for two positions.

A nominating committee picked these finalists, and Governor Kelly Armstrong will make the final appointments, which need approval from the North Dakota Senate.

These new board members will replace Casey Ryan, a physician from Grand Forks who is finishing his second term, and Jeffry Volk, a retired consulting engineer from Fargo who is eligible for reappointment.

The nominees for Ryan’s seat include:

• Levi Bachmeier – business manager of the West Fargo school district and former education adviser to Governor Doug Burgum,
• Russel Crary – a real estate developer from Grand Forks,
• Rich Wardner – a former Senate majority leader and retired K-12 teacher from Dickinson.

The nominees for Volk’s seat include:

• Beverly Johnson – a retired professor of physical therapy and clinical education director at the UND medical school,
• Patrick Sogard – owner of American State Bank and Trust Co. in Williston,
• Jeffry Volk – the current board member seeking reappointment.

The nominating committee reviewed twelve applicants during a meeting on Tuesday. The committee is led by Baesler and includes notable members such as Jon Jensen, the chief justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court, and House Speaker Robin Weisz, among others.

The Board of Higher Education is responsible for overseeing North Dakota’s university system, which includes 11 colleges and universities. It comprises eight voting members and two nonvoting members representing faculty and staff.

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