Indiana Commission for Higher Education Staff Recognized During Annual Meeting of the Midwestern Higher Education Compact

INDIANAPOLIS, IN, AND MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Staff of the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (ICHE) were recognized for their contributions during the semi-annual meeting of the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) held in Indianapolis on November 18-20. Dr. Ken Sauer, senior associate commissioner and chief academic officer for ICHE, presided over the meeting and was recognized for his service as chair. Ms. Tari Lambert, director of Transfer Indiana’s Central Office, was also acknowledged with MHEC’s Outstanding Service Award.

One of four regional higher education compacts in the United States, MHEC is legislatively created and the Compact’s purpose is to provide greater higher education opportunities and services in the Midwest.

“I am very grateful for Ken’s advice and counsel this past year,” stated MHEC President Susan Heegaard. “He has been very supportive in my outreach to increase engagement and seek feedback from our stakeholders. It was also a pleasure to be able to recognize one of his staff members with MHEC’s Outstanding Service Award which recognizes her for her exemplary leadership.”

Ms. Lambert has been actively involved with MHEC for a number of years, including implementation of MHEC’s e-Transcript initiative, credentialing high school teachers to teach dual credit courses, and translating competencies acquired through military training and experiences into credentials.

MHEC’s annual meeting also highlighted lessons learned from the Indiana Governor’s Workforce Cabinet. Indiana Commissioner Teresa Lubbers moderated this session which included, Mr. PJ McGrew, executive director of the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet; Mr. Frederick D. Payne, commissioner of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development; and Mr. Dan Peterson, vice president of Industry and Government Affairs for Cook Group, Inc. Ms. Lubbers also serves as a MHEC commissioner alternate.

Dr. Sauer was initially appointed a MHEC commissioner in 2007 when he was appointed by then Governor Mitch Daniels as his designee, he was reappointed by Governor Eric Holcomb in 2017, to continue serving as the governor’s designee. His term as chair began last November (2018-19). Previously Dr. Sauer served as the Compact’s vice chair (2017-18), and a term as treasurer (2016-17). He has been involved in the founding and implementation of the Midwestern-State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (M-SARA), a voluntary, regional approach to state oversight of postsecondary distance education. He’s also co-chaired the Multi-State Collaborative on Military Credit and served on the leadership team of the e-Transcripts initiatives, and many others over the years.

Dr. Sauer passed the gavel to Commissioner Olivia Madison, Iowa Governor Kim Reynold’s designee, on November 20. Dr. Sauer will continue to serve as an executive officer as past chair. He joins newly elected vice chair, Dr. David Eisler, president of Ferris State University in Michigan; and treasurer, Rep. Rick Carfagna, chair of the Finance Subcommittee on Higher Education for the Ohio House of Representatives.

“It has been an honor to serve as the chair of this impressive group throughout the past year and to celebrate Tari Lambert for her service to MHEC,” said Dr. Sauer. “President Susan Heegaard has made a great transition into the presidency and I look forward to supporting her and the new MHEC Chair Commissioner Madison as we all continue this collaborative and impactful work in higher education and beyond.”

In addition to Dr. Sauer and Ms. Lubbers, current Indiana MHEC Commissioners are: Dr. Charles R. Johnson, Jr., president of Vincennes University; Rep. Jack Jordan; Dr. David W. Wantz, president and CEO of the Independent Colleges of Indiana; and Sen. Andy Zay.

About MHEC
Legislatively created, the Midwestern Higher Education Compact’s purpose is to provide greater higher education opportunities and services in the Midwestern region. Collectively, MHEC creates solutions that build higher education’s capacity to better serve individuals, institutions, and states by leveraging the region’s resources, expertise, ideas, and experiences through multi-state: Convening, Programs, Research, and Contracts. Member states are: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. www.mhec.org

Media Contact
Mary Roberson
MHEC Director of Communications and Marketing
O: (612) 677-2765; C: (612) 805-3396
maryr@mhec.org
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