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.
Illinois Commissioners
Scott Bennett
Illinois General Assembly
State Senator; Chair, Higher Education
Term: 5/24/2022 to 1/11/2023
Katie Stuart
Illinois General Assembly
State Representative; Member, Higher Education Committee
Term: 5/4/2021 to 1/2/2023
Indiana Commissioners
Jon Ford
Indiana General Assembly
State Senator; Member, Appropriations Committee
Term: 6/14/2021 to 7/1/2023
Jack Jordan
Indiana General Assembly
State Representative; Vice Chair, Education Committee
Term: 7/1/2020 to 7/1/2022
Ronald S. Rochon
University of Southern Indiana
President
Term: 7/1/2021 to 6/30/2025
Ken Sauer
Indiana Commission for Higher Education
Senior Associate Commissioner and Chief Academic Officer
Term: 3/27/2017 to Serves At the Pleasure of the Governor
David W. Wantz
Independent Colleges of Indiana
President & CEO
Term: 2/26/2020 to 2/29/2024
Iowa Commissioners
Nancy Boettger
Board of Regents, State of Iowa
Regent
Term: 6/3/2021 to 6/30/2025
Derrick R. Franck
Iowa Association of Community College Trustees
Board Chair
Term: 7/1/2021 to 7/1/2025
Tim Goodwin
Iowa Legislature
State Senator; Vice Chair, Ways and Means Committee
1/22/2021 to 1/8/2023
Olivia M.A. Madison
Iowa Governor's Designee
Term: 6/29/2021 to 4/30/2023, Serves At the Pleasure of the Governor
Sharon S. Steckman
Iowa Legislature
State Representative; Ranking Member, Education Committee
Term: 4/29/2021 to 1/8/2023
Iowa Commissioner Alternates
Andrew J. Baumert
Iowa Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
Vice President for Marketing and Outreach
Term: 2/13/2020 to 1/1/2024
Jacob Bossman
Iowa Legislature
State Representative; Member, Appropriations & Education Committees
Term: 2/11/2021 to 1/8/2023
Timothy Fitzgibbon
First National Bank
Senior Vice President
Term: 6/29/2021 to 4/30/2023, Serves at the Pleasure of the Governor
Herman Quirmbach
Iowa Legislature
State Senator; Ranking Member, Education Committee
Term: 2/19/2021 to 1/8/2023
Mark Wiederspan
Iowa College Aid
Executive Director
Term: 7/1/2021 to 7/1/2023
Kansas Commissioners
Barbara W. Ballard
Kansas Legislature
State Representative
Term: 8/5/2021 to 7/1/2023
Molly Baumgardner
Kansas Legislature
State Senator; Chair, Senate Education Committee
Term: 8/5/2021 to 7/1/2023
Blake Flanders
Kansas Board of Regents
President and CEO
Term: 9/20/2018 to 6/1/2022
Aaron A. Otto
Kansas Governor's Designee
Term: 7/5/2019 to Serves at the Pleasure of the Governor
Allen Schmidt
Kansas Board of Regents
Board Member
Term: 9/16/2021 to 6/30/2022
Kansas Commissioner Alternates
Marci Francisco
Kansas Legislature
State Senator
Term: 8/5/2021 to 7/1/2023
Ken Rahjes
Kansas Legislature
State Representative; Chair, Higher Education Budget
Term: 8/5/2021 to 7/1/2023
Michigan Commissioners
David L. Eisler
Ferris State University
Former President; Professor, Community College Leadership Studies
Term: 3/26/2021 to 3/18/2025
Ben Frederick
Michigan Legislature
State Representative; House Majority Floor Leader
Term: 1/1/2021 to 12/31/2022
Brandy M. Johnson
Michigan Community College Association
President
Term: 4/16/2019, Serves at the Pleasure of the Governor
Kimberly LaSata
Michigan Legislature
State Senator; Chair, Appropriations Subcommittee on Universities and Community Colleges
Term: 1/25/2021-1/25/2023
Bill Pink
Grand Rapids Community College
President
Term; 8/16/2019 to 3/18/2023
Michigan Commissioner Alternates
Daniel J. Hurley
Michigan Association of State Universities
Chief Executive Officer
Term: 7/1/2015
Casandra Ulbrich
State Board of Education
President
Term: 1/9/2019 to Serves At the Pleasure of the Governor
Minnesota Commissioners
Connie Bernardy
Minnesota Legislature
State Representative; Chair, Higher Education Finance and Policy Division
Term: 1/2/2021 to 1/1/2023
Michael Goh
University of Minnesota
Vice President for Equity and Diversity
Term: 4/30/2021 to 1/6/2025
Devinder Malhotra
Minnesota State
Chancellor
Term: 3/3/2021 to 1/6/2025
Dennis Olson
Minnesota Office of Higher Education
Commissioner
Term: 4/30/2019 to 1/2/2023; Serves at the Pleasure of the Governor
David Tomassoni
Minnesota Legislature
State Senator; President Pro Tem & Chair, Higher Education Finance & Policy Committee
Term: 1/5/2021 to 12/31/2022
Minnesota Commissioner Alternates
Paul Cerkvenik
Minnesota Private College Council
President
Term: 12/8/2014
Missouri Commissioners
John Black
Missouri General Assembly
State Representative; Vice Chairman of the Higher Education Committee
Term: 3/18/2020 to 7/1/2021
Kayla Hahn
Missouri Governor Michael Parson
Policy Director
2/6/2019 to Serves At the Pleasure of the Governor
Cindy O’Laughlin
Missouri General Assembly
State Senator; Chairwoman, Education Committee
Term: 1/7/2021 to 1/2/2023
David Pearce
University of Central Missouri
Executive Director for Government Relations
Term: 5/24/2022 to 1/1/2026
Susan Thomas
Truman State University
President
Term: 6/3/2019 to 1/1/2021
Missouri Commissioner Alternate
Zora Mulligan
Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development
Commissioner
Term: 8/29/2016
Nebraska Commissioners
John Cavanaugh
Nebraska Legislature
State Senator
Term: 1/22/2021 to 1/1/2023
Randolph M. Ferlic
Nebraska Governor's Designee
Term: 1/2/2019 to 1/1/2023; Serves At the Pleasure of the Governor
Deborah A. Frison
Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education
Commission Member
Term: 1/2/2019 to 1/1/2023
Heath Mello
University of Nebraska System
Vice President for External Relations
Term: 6/6/2022 to 1/1/2023
Lynne Walz
Nebraska Legislature
State Senator; Member, Education Committee
Term: 1/22/2021 to 1/1/2023
Nebraska Commissioner Alternate
Michael Baumgartner
Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education
Executive Director
Term: 9/3/2014
North Dakota Commissioners
Kyle Davison
North Dakota Legislative Assembly
State Senator, Member, Appropriations Committee
Term: 8/1/2021 to 7/23/2023
Tim Flakoll
North Dakota Governor's Designee
Term: 12/15/2016 to Serves At the Pleasure of the Governor
Mark Hagerott
North Dakota University System
Chancellor
Term: 7/1/2019 to 6/30/2023
Timothy Mihalick
State Board of Higher Education
Board Member
Term: 7/1/2021 to 6/30/2025
Brandy Pyle
North Dakota Legislative Assembly
State Representative; Member, Higher Education Committee
Term: 8/1/2021 to 7/31/2023
North Dakota Commissioner Alternates
James L. Davis
Turtle Mountain Community College
Former President
Term: 2/14/2017
Ohio Commissioners
Gary Cates
Ohio Department of Higher Education
Senior Vice Chancellor
Term: 1/9/2019 to 1/8/2023
Jerry Cirino
Ohio Legislature
State Senator; Vice Chair, Senate Workforce & Higher Education Committee
Term: 2/10/2021 to 12/31/2022
Jon Cross
Ohio Legislature
State Representative; Chair, Finance Subcommittee on Higher Education
Term: 3/8/2022 to 1/1/2023
Mike Duffey
Ohio Governor's Designee
Senior Vice Chancellor, Ohio Department of Higher Education
Term: 1/29/2021, Serves At the Pleasure of the Governor
Jack Hershey
Ohio Association of Community Colleges
President & CEO
Term: 3/3/2021 to 1/8/2025
Ohio Commissioner Alternates
Bruce Johnson
Inter-University Council of Ohio
President
Term: 1/10/2007
South Dakota Commissioners
Michael Cartney
Lake Area Technical College
President
Term: 1/3/2021 to 12/31/2024
Erin Healy
South Dakota Legislature
State Representative; Member, Education Committee
Term: 3/29/2021 to 12/31/2022
Larry J. Tidemann
South Dakota Governor's Designee, State Representative
1/11/2019, Serves At the Pleasure of the Governor
South Dakota Commissioner Alternates
Reynold Nesiba
South Dakota Legislature
State Senator; Member, Joint Committee on Appropriations
Term: 3/29/2021 to 12/31/2022
Marli Wiese
South Dakota Legislature
State Representative; Majority Whip
Term: 3/29/2021 to 12/31/2022
Wisconsin Commissioners
Connie Hutchison
State of Wisconsin Higher Educational Aids Board
Executive Secretary
Term: 7/13/2021 to 7/1/2023
David Murphy
Wisconsin State Legislature
State Representative; Chair, Committee on Colleges and Universities
Term: 3/29/2021 to 6/30/2023
Stephen Nass
Wisconsin State Legislature
State Senator; Vice-Chair, Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges
Term: 3/18/2021 to 1/1/2023
Julie Underwood
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Professor Emeritus
Term 4/2/2019, Serves at the Pleasure of the Governor
Rolf Wegenke
Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (WAICU)
President
Term: 3/14/2019 to 7/1/2023
Wisconsin Commissioner Alternates
Morna Foy
Wisconsin Technical College System
President
Term: 3/11/2013
Sean P. Nelson
University of Wisconsin System
VP of Finance
Term: 2/6/2018
