Higher education system names ‘officer in charge’

The Nevada System of Higher Education announced Thursday that Patricia “Patty” Charlton will be “officer in charge” following the departure of Acting Chancellor Dale Erquiaga.

Charlton — who is acting vice chancellor of academic and student affairs — joined the system office earlier this year after retiring as a vice president from the College of Southern Nevada.

She will oversee the state’s public higher education system, which has eight schools and about 100,000 students.

“I am dedicated to advancing the mission of higher education in Nevada and ensuring that every student has access to quality education and opportunities for success,” Charlton said in a release. “Together, with the Board of Regents and our dedicated faculty, staff, and students, we will continue to drive positive change and shape the future of higher education in our state.”

Erquiaga’s last day was Aug. 4 and Charlton became the officer in charge on the same day, a system spokesperson said.

“With close to three decades of dedicated service to higher education and an impeccable track record of leadership and community engagement in southern Nevada, Charlton is exceptionally qualified to lead NSHE during this transitional period,” Board of Regents Chairman Byron Brooks said in the release. “Her deep commitment to furthering the educational aspirations of Nevadans is evident through her extensive experience in policy development, financial acumen, and transparent communication.”

After undergoing a search process for a new chancellor, regents in late June rejected a motion to hire Lawrence Drake II, interim president of Bethune-Cookman University, as the next chancellor.

Then, the board voted unanimously to discontinue the search and pursue hiring an interim chancellor instead.

The board will consider voting on naming an interim chancellor during a meeting later this month, according to the release.

Erquiaga, the former state superintendent of public instruction, started as acting chancellor in July 2022 after Melody Rose — who was chancellor for 19 months — resigned in April 2022 and accepted $610,000 in severance pay. Erquiaga was originally hired under an 18-month contract that was slated to continue through the end of 2023.

In a post on LinkedIn approximately a week ago, Erquiaga wrote: “I’m pleased to announce my retirement from the Nevada System of Education and more than three decades of public service. Not sure what the next chapter will include, but I know it will be a lot of grandkid time, finishing a second novel, and settling in to a new life in the small town where I was born. After that? We’ll see…”

Erquiaga did not immediately return a request for comment Thursday.

Contact Julie Wootton-Greener at jgreener@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2921. Follow @julieswootton on X, formerly known as Twitter.