| The North Dakota Senate confirmed Kevin Melicher to the State Board of Higher Education on Thursday, going against the recommendation of a Senate committee that voted 3-2 Monday to reject the Fargo optometrist’s appointment.
The Senate voted 27-18 to confirm Melicher, who has served on the board temporarily since June after being appointed to a four-year term by Gov. Jack Dalrymple.
Twenty-four votes were needed to confirm Melicher, a former president of the Fargo School Board. Two senators were absent.
Melicher said Thursday afternoon he was “very excited” about the result and had not known what to expect.
“The last half hour’s been kind of a blur,” he said after getting off the phone with the governor. “I look forward to working with the Senate, the entire Legislature, and the citizens and students in North Dakota as we move our higher education system forward.”
Melicher said he planned to meet personally with senators on the committee who did not recommend his appointment.
“I don’t assume I have a solid base at all,” he said. “I assume that every day is a new day and the people that voted against me, or not in my favor, did for a reason, and I would like to figure out what some of those reasons are to see if we can reach a consensus.”
Sen. Donald Schaible, R-Mott, who served on the confirmation committee, said Melicher’s answers during his Jan. 28 confirmation hearing indicated he “seemed to have a grasp on the problems but he did not have a clear idea how to address them.”
He said Melicher’s general attitude was that North Dakota’s higher education system has “a few hiccups,” but generally the colleges are doing a good job.
“This is where the committee would have to differ. We feel that there are some real issues and concerns with our higher educational system,” he said, listing fraudulent enrollment reporting and degrees, data breaches, tuition increases and open meetings violations, among other concerns.
Sen. John Warner, D-Ryder, who also served on the committee and supported Melicher’s confirmation, said the divided recommendation “does not truly represent the committee on the actual nominee but rather represents the near unanimous frustration with the general culture of the Board of Higher Education.” He said he was impressed with Melicher’s candor and willingness to serve.
“This board is one of the great lightning rods of North Dakota politics,” he said. “Its every action is criticized and scrutinized with a fine-toothed comb. Finding people of integrity and intelligence to serve on this largely volunteer board is a difficult task.”
Another committee member, Sen. Kelly Armstrong, R-Dickinson, said Melicher had an impressive resume but performed poorly in the interview.
“His inability to answer questions regarding recent issues and future direction of higher education in North Dakota were troubling to me,” he said
Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner, R-Dickinson, said the Senate elevated the confirmation process by holding Melicher’s confirmation hearing in the Capitol’s largest meeting room and asking him tough questions. He said the committee’s recommendation “was not petty politics.”
“The issue was he didn’t answer the questions as complete as I think we needed to have them, to know that he understands the direction of higher ed,” Wardner said. “The board of higher ed needs to drive the bus. They need to lead the parade. It should be the board, the chancellor and then the campuses.”
Sen. Jerry Klein, R-Fessenden, who chaired the committee, said Melicher could have answered the questions more completely but deserves a chance to show he can fix the board’s problems.
“I’ll be honest, that wasn’t his best interview,” said Sen. Tim Flakoll, R-Fargo. “But he is very measured in his approach, and I think if he is on the board, we will have a change and great things will happen.”
Melicher said he was committed to mending the long-troubled relationship between state legislators and board members.
“From what I understand, in the past, the trust was not there,” he said. “And I think establishing trust takes time, and it takes people, and as you work together, you establish that trust.” |