Incumbents, newcomer set for Board of Regents
Two incumbents and a newcomer all won seats on the Board of Regents on Tuesday.
The 13-member board governs public higher education in Nevada.
Incumbent Cedric Crear, 43, an advertising executive, easily defeated challenger Jeff Eggeman in the District 1 race.
"I'm thankful that the voters of District 1 stuck with me," Crear said. "We've started a lot of great things, and we need them to continue."
Crear, who was first elected to the board in 2006, said he will focus on making sure higher education remains accessible.
He also said he wants the higher education system to keep pace with the state's changing economic needs. This is especially true when it comes to jobs relating to new technology, he said.
In District 4, an open seat after term limits forbade the current seat holder from running again, Allison Stephens, 32, defeated challenger Stavan Corbett, 38.
Stephens is a health care consultant.
Stephens, who could not be reached Tuesday night, has said making sure the state's workforce needs are being met by the higher education system should be a top priority.
She supports a pending rewrite of the formula used to fund higher education. It would shift some money from the Northern Nevada colleges and universities to those in Southern Nevada. She has said her top priority will be to keep higher education affordable.
Andrea Anderson, 67, the only woman on the current board, retained her District 12 seat, defeating former board member Lonnie Hammargren, 74.
She attributed her win to her record as a pro-education public servant. She was a longtime administrator with the College of Southern Nevada and a member of the City Council in Boulder City before joining the board.
"That's been my whole life," she said. "I think the people who voted for me knew I really support education."
Anderson, who also supports the funding formula rewrite, has said her top priorities would be restoring cuts to faculty and staff salaries and to student services.
She also wants the state's colleges and universities to work more closely with the business community to help spur economic development.
Contact reporter Richard Lake at rlake@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0307.
