Board of Regents' Appointments Press Conference

Tuesday, September 2, 2003
Governor's Office
Phoenix, Arizona

When I was elected Governor of Arizona, I promised to make education my top priority. Today I am announcing my appointments to the Arizona Board of Regents, and there is no doubt in my mind that these two individuals will improve the quality of higher education in our state.

The Board of Regents, comprised of eight members and two student regents, is mandated by our state constitution to oversee Arizona's public university system: Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and the University of Arizona.

In Fall 2002, the board was responsible for serving 113,869 students who attended the three state universities.

Today, I am proud to introduce Arizona's newest regents, who have agreed to make higher education their top priority: Lorraine Frank and Ernest Calderon.

Lorraine Frank

Lorraine has been an Arizona resident since 1954 and has an esteemed record of service to our state, especially in the areas of education and the humanities.

She was a presidential appointment to the National Council on Humanities in 1993-1997.

In 1973, she founded and became executive director of the Arizona Humanities Council, which secured funding for and organized humanitarian activities.

She was also the founding executive director of the Arizona Foundation for Women in 1995.

Lorraine has already worked with the Board of Regents, serving on the Regents' Commission of the Status of Women in 1989-1991.

She is a graduate of Vassar College, and served on its Board of Trustees in 1993-1997.

Lorraine has received honorary doctorates from ASU and UA.

She served on the selection committees for the prestigious Flinn and Rhodes scholarships.

Lorraine clearly has a great deal of knowledge and experience to bring to the Board of Regents and I name her to the board with great pride and confidence.

Ernest Calderon

Ernie will certainly be a considerable asset to the Board because he is a product of Arizona education. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Political Science at NAU and later earned a Juris Doctorate in law at UA.

Ernie practices law with a firm here in the valley and has argued cases before state and federal trial courts and the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

He is the Immediate Past President of the State Bar of Arizona and has experience in the area of education law.

Ernie serves on the Northern Arizona University Foundation and has been a member of the Council of School Attorneys for the National School Boards Association.

I appointed Ernie to my School Readiness Task Force earlier this year.

Ernie's superb knowledge of the law, and his dedication to Arizona schools make him an ideal appointment to the Board of Regents.

The members of The Board of Regents have some challenging work ahead of them. In order to cope with increasing student enrollment and large cuts to the univesities' budgets, the board is currently working on the Changing Directions Initiative.

This program will review the universities' revenue sources and help the schools to refocus their missions and collaborate on the academic programs they offer.

Lorraine and Ernie are each being appointed to serve an eight-year term, and their knowledge and insights will be invaluable in helping our state universities make this transition.

I appreciate Lorraine and Ernie's commitment to making sure that Arizona's university students continue to receive a world-class education at a minimal price.