MHEC is governed by a 60-member commission. Each member state has five appointed commissioners: the governor or the governor's designee; two legislators, one from each house; and two other at-large members, at least one of whom shall be selected from the field of higher education.
Executive Officers:
Chair: Mike Duffey (OH); Vice Chair: Katie Stuart (IL); and Treasurer: Tim Mihalick (ND); Past Chair: Barbara Ballard (KS)
Illinois Commissioners
Maureen Banks
Illinois Community College Board
Board Member
Term: 3/24/2023 to 3/24/2027
Michael Halpin
Illinois General Assembly
State Senator; Chair, Senate Committee on Education Appropriations
Term: 3/21/2023 to 1/2/2025
Pranav Kothari
Illinois Board of Higher Education
Board Chair
Term: 3/15/2023 to 1/1/2027
Katie Stuart
Illinois General Assembly
State Representative; Assistant Majority Leader and Floor Whip
Term: 3/17/2025 to 1/2/2027
Indiana Commissioners
Bob Behning
Indiana General Assembly
State Representative; Chair, Education Committee
Term: 7/1/2024 to 6/30/2026
Matt Butler
Indiana Commission for Higher Education
Senior Associate Commissioner and Chief Academic Officer
Term: 5/14/2025 to Serves at the Pleasure of the Governor; Indiana Governor's Designee
Spencer Deery
Indiana General Assembly
State Senator; Majority Member, Education and Career Development Committee
Term: 7/1/2025 to 6/30/2027
Charles Johnson
Vincennes University
President
Term: 9/9/2024 to 6/30/2025
Dottie King
Independent Colleges of Indiana
President and CEO
Term: 4/12/2024 to 2/28/2028
Iowa Commissioners
Timothy Fitzgibbon
Term: 5/1/2025 to 4/30/2027, Serves at the Pleasure of the Governor; Iowa Governor's Designee
Jesse Green
Iowa Legislature
State Senator; Chair, Education Appropriations Subcommittee
Term: 1/13/2025 to 1/10/2027
Joanna Hofer
Iowa Association of Community College Trustees
Past Board Chair
Term: 7/1/2025 to 7/1/2027
Monica Kurth
Iowa Legislature
State Representative; Member, Education Committee
Term: 4/3/2025 to 1/10/2027
Greta Rouse
Iowa Board of Regents
President Pro Tem
Term: 5/11/2023 to 4/30/2027
Iowa Commissioner Alternates
Jacob Bossman
Iowa Legislature
State Representative; Member, Appropriations Committee
Term: 3/24/2025 to 1/10/2027
Matthew Draud
Briar Cliff University
President
Term: 5/13/2025 to 5/12/2029
David Ford
Iowa College Aid - Iowa Department of Education
Bureau Chief
Term: 7/1/2025 to 7/1/2027
Olivia M.A. Madison
Term: 5/1/2023 to 4/30/2025, Serves At the Pleasure of the Governor; Iowa Governor's Designee
Cindy Winckler
Iowa Legislature
State Senator; Ranking Member, Education Appropriations Subcommittee
Term: 1/13/2025 to 1/10/2027
Kansas Commissioners
Barbara W. Ballard
Kansas Legislature
State Representative; Minority Caucus Chair
Term: 7/1/2023 to 6/30/2025
Renee Erickson
Kansas Legislature
State Senator; Chair, Senate Committee on Education
Term: 1/28/2025 to 1/11/2027
Blake Flanders
Kansas Board of Regents
President and CEO
Term: 9/15/2022 to 6/30/2026
Aaron A. Otto
Term: 7/5/2019 to Serves at the Pleasure of the Governor; Kansas Governor's Designee
Wint Winter
Kansas Board of Regents
Board Member
Term: 9/20/2023 to 6/30/2026
Kansas Commissioner Alternates
Marci Francisco
Kansas Legislature
State Senator
Term: 7/1/2023 to 6/30/2025
Ken Rahjes
Kansas Legislature
State Representative; Member, House Committee on Higher Education Budget
Term: 7/1/2023 to 6/30/2025
Michigan Commissioners
Daniel J. Hurley
Michigan Association of State Universities
Chief Executive Officer
Term: 3/20/2025 to 3/18/2029
Brandy M. Johnson
Michigan Community College Association
President
Term: 5/9/2024 to 3/18/2027
Sean McCann
Michigan Legislature
State Senator; Chair, Universities and Community Colleges Appropriations Subcommittee
Term: 1/22/2025 to 1/13/2027
Greg Markkanen
Michigan Legislature
State Representative; Chairman of Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education
Term: 4/30/2025 to 12/31/2026
Emma Young
State of Michigan
Policy Analyst to the Governor
Term: 5/9/2024; Serves at the Pleasure of the Governor; Michigan Governor's Designee
Michigan Commissioner Alternates
Beverly Walker-Griffea
MiLEAP - Department of Michigan Lifelong, Education, Advancement, and Potential
Executive Director
Term: 4/3/2025 to At the Pleasure of the Governor
Minnesota Commissioners
Omar Fateh
Minnesota Legislature
State Senator; Chair, Higher Education Committee
2/21/2025 to 1/1/2027
Jessica Hanson
Minnesota Legislature
State Representative; Member, Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee
Term: 3/12/2025 to 1/11/2027
Dennis Olson
Minnesota Office of Higher Education
Commissioner
Term: 2/17/2023 to 1/4/2027; Serves at the Pleasure of the Governor; Minnesota Governor's Designee
Scott Olson
Minnesota State
Chancellor
Term: 5/14/2025 to 1/1/2029
Raj Singh
University of Minnesota
Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education
Term: 5/14/2025 to 1/4/2027
Minnesota Commissioner Alternates
Paul Cerkvenik
Minnesota Private College Council
President
Term: 12/8/2014
Missouri Commissioners
Chris Brown
Missouri General Assembly
State Representative; Chairman, Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee
Term: 5/23/2025 to 7/1/2026
Samantha Dickey
Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development
Assistant Commissioner for Postsecondary Policy
Term: 7/17/2023 to Serves At Pleasure of the Governor; Missouri Governor's Designee
David Pearce
University of Central Missouri
Executive Director for Government Relations
Term: 10/5/2022 to 1/1/2026
Susan Thomas
Truman State University
President
Term: 6/3/2019 to 1/1/2021
Curtis Trent
Missouri General Assembly
State Senator; Member, Economic and Workforce Development Committee
Term: 1/16/2025 to 12/31/2026
Nebraska Commissioners
Matthew Blomstedt
University of Nebraska System
Associate Vice President for Government Relations
Term: 10/3/2024 to 1/1/2027
John Cavanaugh
Nebraska Legislature
State Senator
Term: 1/16/2025 to 1/1/2027
Deborah A. Frison
Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education
Commission Member
Term: 1/2/2023 to 1/1/2027
Jana Hughes
Nebraska Legislature
State Senator; Vice Chairperson, Education Committee
Term: 1/16/2025 to 1/1/2027
Grant Latimer
State of Nebraska
Policy Advisor to Governor Jim Pillen
Term: 10/16/2023 to At the Pleasure of the Governor; Nebraska Governor's Designee
Nebraska Commissioner Alternate
Michael Baumgartner
Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education
Executive Director
Term: 9/3/2014
Paul Turman
Nebraska State College System
Chancellor
Term: 4/23/2024 to 7/1/2028
North Dakota Commissioners
Kyle Davison
North Dakota Legislative Assembly
State Senator, Member, Appropriations Committee
Term: 8/1/2023 to 7/31/2025
Tim Flakoll
Cass County
Commissioner
Term: 1/13/2025 to Serves At the Pleasure of the Governor; North Dakota Governor's Designee
Timothy Mihalick
State Board of Higher Education
Chair
Term: 7/1/2025 to 6/30/2029
Brandy Pyle
North Dakota Legislative Assembly
State Representative; Member, Appropriations Committee
Term: 8/1/2023 to 7/31/2025
Brent Sanford
North Dakota University System
Interim Chancellor
Term: 5/21/2025 to 6/30/2027
Ohio Commissioners
Gary Cates
Ohio Department of Higher Education
Senior Vice Chancellor (retired)
Term: 1/9/2023 to 1/8/2027
Jerry Cirino
Ohio Legislature
State Senator; Vice Chair, Higher Education Committee
Term: 3/21/2025 to 12/31/2026
Mike Duffey
Ohio Department of Higher Education
Chancellor
Term: 1/29/2021, Serves At the Pleasure of the Governor; Ohio Governor's Designee
Tom Young
Ohio Legislature
State Representative; Chair, Workforce and Higher Education Committee
Term: 3/3/2025 to 1/1/2027
South Dakota Commissioners
Michael Cartney
Lake Area Technical College
President Emeritus
Term: 1/3/2021 to 12/31/2024
Steve Kolbeck
South Dakota Legislature
State Senator; Vice Chair, Senate Education Committee
Term: 3/27/2023 to 12/31/2024
Nathan Lukkes
South Dakota Board of Regents
Executive Director and CEO
Term: 7/1/2022 to 6/30/2026
Larry J. Tidemann
1/11/2019, Serves At the Pleasure of the Governor; South Dakota Governor's Designee
South Dakota Commissioner Alternates
Erin Healy
South Dakota Legislature
State Representative; Assistant Minority Leader
Term: 3/27/2023 to 12/31/2024
Wisconsin Commissioners
Tammie DeVooght
Higher Educational Aids Board
Executive Secretary
Term: 2/20/2025 to 7/1/2025
Eric Fulcomer
Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
President
Term: 7/1/2023 to 7/1/2027
André Jacque
Wisconsin State Legislature
State Senator
Term: 2/21/2025 to 1/4/2027
David Murphy
Wisconsin State Legislature
State Representative; Chair, Committee on Colleges and Universities
Term: 4/17/2024 to 6/30/2025
Julie Underwood
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Professor Emeritus
Term 4/2/2019, Serves at the Pleasure of the Governor; Wisconsin Governor's Designee
Wisconsin Commissioner Alternates
Layla Merrifield
Wisconsin Technical College System
President
Term: 9/17/2024 to 8/31/2028
Christopher Patton
University of Wisconsin System
Interim Vice President for University Relations
Term: 9/9/2024 to 8/31/2028
