Senate committee approves Gov. Noem’s Regent appointments amid Barb Stork’s retirement

The Senate education committee consented to Gov. Kristi Noem's appointments of Jeff Partridge, Tony Venhuizen and Tim Rave on Thursday morning following the announcement of Barb Stork's retirement from the South Dakota Board of Regents.

Stork's retirement was effective immediately Wednesday afternoon, and committee chair Sen. Blake Curd said Thursday morning that it's appropriate to entertain appointment for the three nominees, considering Stork's retirement.

The committee had considered appointing the three new Regents on Tuesday, but deferred action to its Thursday meeting because it had raised a question about Partridge's position.

Partridge had been serving on the Board of Regents since he was appointed April 2021, but had been on a leave of absence since late November 2021 when he was appointed interim Bureau of Finance and Management commissioner.

"That leave of absence continues until he is finished with his work at BFM," Regents spokesperson Janelle Toman explain. "It does not create any conflict, since the leave of absence is in effect now. He is not engaged in any work for the board, does not participate in meetings, and does not receive materials or official documents from the board, until his BFM work is completed."

Noem will name a successor as soon as possible to complete Stork's term, which ends in 2025. It's unclear what the timeline is for Noem to appoint another member, Curd noted Thursday.

“I was very honored to be asked by Gov. Noem, and thank her for the opportunity, to serve on the Board of Regents. It was a privilege to work in any way that I could toward the betterment of our students’ education,” Stork, who was appointed to the board in July 2019, said in a statement Wednesday. “My great admiration for the governor makes this a difficult decision; however, it is time for me to direct my time to other interests.”

SDBOR executive director and CEO Brian Maher said in a statement that it's been a pleasure to work with Stork.

“In her nearly three years on the board, Regent Stork brought a business approach to the board that continues to pay dividends to the people of South Dakota," Maher said. "Specifically, her work and leadership on the Senate Bill 55 Task Force made an impact on how the business of the Board of Regents will be handled well into the future. We thank her for her service and wish her well as she retires from the board.”

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Senate committee approves Gov. Noem’s recent Regent appointments