REVIEW-JOURNAL ENDORSEMENTS: Board of Regents

It wasn’t as high-profile as the Clark County School District, but the Nevada System of Higher Education had its own drama recently. Now, voters have a chance to weigh in by selecting who sits on the Board of Regents.

In District 6, Jeanine Dakduk wants to bring her 15 years of experience working in higher education to the board. She’s well aware of the need to control costs and wants to find entrepreneurial ways to help to grow revenue. She cited UNLV’s partnership with MGM as a model to emulate. Her opponent, Heather Brown, leads a nonprofit. She said she was shocked and dismayed by the lack of decorum and ethics among some past regents. She wants to make the board more professional. Jeanine Dakduk’s ideas and experience make her best ready to meet the challenges facing the board.

Susan Brager, the former county commissioner and school trustee, is running in District 7. She wants more campuses for the College of Southern Nevada. Her goal is to create additional training opportunities that provide the technical skills employers are looking for. She also wants students needing remedial classes to start at CSN, a sound idea. David “Coach” Crete is a real estate broker, veteran and long-time youth sports coach. That made him well aware of the inadequacies of education in Nevada. He’s also rightly concerned about students graduating with degrees that are nearly worthless. Mr. Crete is a fine candidate, but Susan Brager has the experience and vision this board desperately needs.

Two educators seek to represent District 8, which includes part of Clark County and several rural counties. John Patrick Rice is a professor at Great Basin College in Elko. He has 30 years of experience in higher education and wants to keep a rural voice on the board. Michelee “Shelly” Crawford is the principal at Ronnow Elementary School and an officer with the Nevada Air National Guard. She helped shepherd a bill through the Legislature to remove a hurdle faced by school para-professionals trying to complete their student teaching. We lean toward Michelee Crawford in this race.

Regent John Moran is seeking re-election in District 13. He believes the system has hired some excellent presidents and wants a well-trained workforce. Stephanie Goodman runs a center on problem gaming and once served as the chief of staff to then-Mayor Oscar Goodman, her former father-in-law. She’s an outspoken advocate for free speech on college campuses and believes she could help bring the board together. Her pro-active commitment to the free exchange of ideas on campus is refreshing. We favor Stephanie Goodman and her commitment to free expression.