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Board of Regents selection causes some controversy

March 28, 2012

Governor Jan Brewer made two of her selections for the Board of Regents public last week. Two experts explain the role of the board and the outrage caused by one of Brewer’s selections.

Joining the conversation are Chris Herstam, a former regent and a former gubernatorial chief of staff who was involved in helping choose regents, and Jeanine L’Ecuyer, former deputy chief of staff for communications for former Governor Janet Napolitano.

The selection of Greg Patterson caused an outcry from the state Democratic Party. They say Patterson has brought the existence of the Board of Regents into question in the past. Herstam says choosing Patterson could harm Brewer politically because it publicly aligns her with his ideologies. L’Ecuyer says Brewer chose a political rock-thrower, and putting such a person in a position of power over some of the state’s biggest businesses is a head-scratcher.