President and CEO of the Kansas Board of Regents Blake Flanders had his final meeting in those positions and will be stepping down at the end of the month, but the search for who will take over those positions is still ongoing.
“It’s been the honor of my life, and it’s been great to really have created some long-lasting friendships working in this position,” Flanders said at the June 17 meeting. “And getting to serve Kansas and Kansans and even some folks from out of state who have come to our institutions.”
The Regents will need to choose an interim chair by June 30 because Flanders’ position will not be filled by then. The president and CEO is not a member of the board. They are a part of its staff, meaning they are hired by the board, not appointed by the governor like other positions.
Flanders has been the president and CEO since 2015. Before his current role, he served as the vice president of workforce development for KBOR.
The president and CEO is responsible for leading KBOR’s strategic agenda and advises the board on policy, academic affairs and governance, and also being the spokesperson for KBOR.
During Flanders’ time, there was 10% growth in on-time graduates and state-funded aid to students grew about four times, while dealing with the operation cost of universities growing and federal funding being lost.
Along with Flanders, three of the current regent’s terms will be ending June 30 — Regents Blake Benson, John Dicus and Diana Mendoza. These positions are appointed by the governor of Kansas.
Benson was appointed to the board in 2022 by Governor Laura Kelly and serves as the chair of KBOR and as chair of the board’s Governance Committee. He is also president of the Pittsburg Area Chamber of Commerce.
Dicus was also appointed in 2022 and serves as the chair of the Fiscal Affairs and Audit Standing Committee. He also is the chairman, CEO and president of Capitol Federal Savings.
Mendoza is the vice chair of KBOR and serves on the Governance Committee and Academic Affairs Standing Committee. She also works as the associate superintendent of Student and Family Engagement for Dodge City Public Schools.
