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Process begins to fill upcoming YSU trustee vacancy
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
With the term of Dr. Sudershan Garg expiring, Gov. John Kasich will appoint a new Youngstown State University trustee, a routine process to some but one that many don’t understand.
Each of the nine trustees serves a nine-year term, appointed by the sitting governor. Student trustees, who also are appointed by the governor, serve for two years. Garg’s term expires April 30. Student Trustee Eric Shehadi’s term also expires this month.
“We are sent names of people who have a stake in the university or we solicit names from others whose opinions we respect. And people apply independently,” said Rob Nichols, a Kasich spokesman.
The governor’s office employs an Office of Boards and Commissions, whose staff is charged with the process.
“We have a team of people who work for the governor’s office appointing boards,” Nichols said. “They know what they’re doing. They’re capable of making these decisions. We do this every single day.”
It’s the same procedure used to fill vacancies on boards across the state at colleges and universities and on various commissions and committees. And though Garg’s term is up April 30, the governor is under no deadline to make an appointment.
The next round of quarterly YSU trustee meetings is in June.
YSU President Jim Tressel said he hasn’t been contacted about the appointment and doesn’t know if he will be.
“Whoever is appointed, that’s who I was rooting for,” he joked.
He believes the process has worked.
“You want to have a well-rounded board,” Tressel said. “You want to have the right people who have a wide variety of interests and causes. A university is so broad. The needs of so many different groups are important. What I hope is they look at our board and say, ‘We’ve got people with certain expertise and could use someone with this background.’ I would hope the makeup is looked at.”
With Garg, the board includes two doctors, two attorneys, two businessmen, a retired government official, a retired teacher and a community/human services professional.
Annette Burden, president of the YSU-Ohio Education Association, believes the board of trustees would benefit from having a faculty member among its ranks.
“The [board of trustees] has two student members, but it has not had a faculty member since Mr. [Larry] Esterly,” she said in an email.
Esterly, who retired as a YSU political science professor in 1992, served as a trustee from 1997 until his death in 2005.
“In light of the fact that the board has stated that they really don’t know what faculty do, in my opinion, the board could gain a great deal of insight if a faculty member were appointed to the board,” Burden said.
Trustees serve without pay.
Two community members expected to be consulted by Kasich’s office about the YSU appointments are Mark Munroe, chairman of the Mahoning County Republican Party, and Tom Humphries, president and CEO of the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber.
Humphries said he’s been called for his input by the offices of the last four governors. That includes both political parties.
“I think it’s because I’ve been around here for so long and know most of the leadership in the Valley,” he said.
A person from the governor’s office might call and ask Humphries if he knows a particular individual. He’s also been asked to recommend people for boards.
Humphries, who also serves on the Ohio Board of Regents, said he hasn’t been consulted by the governor’s office regarding Garg’s replacement; however, he has been told by a few people, whom he didn’t identify, that they’re interested in the seat.
He said he’s looking for people with a commitment to — and experience in — education, a commitment to the institution and board diversity.
The chamber president said he tries to stay away from saying that one person is better than another. He just provides information on their backgrounds and the qualities they’ve demonstrated.
Munroe said it’s not uncommon for the governor, regardless of party, to reach out to people in a particular community when trying to fill a board vacancy.
“The university is extremely important to this community,” he said. “You’re always looking for a board of trustees that reflects a broad range of experience in everything from legal, business or community. The best boards are those that are a reflection of the community.”
Nichols said the governor is looking for the “best and the brightest” to fill vacancies.
The office gets calls from people advocating for others to be appointed to all boards.
That’s not exclusive to YSU.
“It’s the norm,” the spokesman said.
Chet Cooper, chairman of YSU’s Academic Senate, a body that includes representatives from faculty, administration and students, said he wishes the appointment process included faculty input.
“There’s a concept called ‘shared governance,’” he said.
For an academic institution to operate smoothly, there has to be an exchange of information, he said.
“Sometimes decisions are made without realizing the impact with people in the trenches, those committed to doing the work that needs to be done,” Cooper said.
He recognizes the difficulty of trustees’ jobs in the current economic landscape.
“I don’t have any complaint with the current board of trustees,” he said. “They’re all doing the best they can, to best of their ability.”
Garg said he hopes the person selected to fill his seat shares some of his characteristics:
“Stay calm in difficult circumstances. Stay focused and try to do the job of the university and not be involved in day-to-day operations but look at the big picture.
“The president should be the one running the university, not the board,” he said. “The board should set policies, and the president runs the university.”
He believes the board is fairly diverse, mentioning the racial, gender and religious differences represented.
Trustee Harry Meshel, whose term expires next year, was appointed by former Gov. Ted Strickland. He sent a letter informing the governor that he was interested in the seat, he said.
“For me, it was a combination of being close to him, a friend to him and my education,” said Meshel, a retired state senator, adding that he had known Strickland for 20 years.
He also acknowledged that recommendations from the political party of the sitting governor also play a role. Meshel also secured funding for YSU while in the office, he said.
He believes a good board includes people with a wide range of experience, stretching across government, business and community organizations.
It can be difficult, though, to find such people who have the time to serve, Meshel said. Because he’s retired, Meshel is able to devote 15 to 20 hours per week to his trustee responsibilities.
“I’m not one to complain or criticize,” Meshel said. “We’ve had good people selected. You don’t want someone who is devoted to one section of the public — someone who is 100 percent to labor, or 100 percent to industry or whatever.”
A university’s board of trustees is the only entity between the university and the public, he said.
“State law dictates that we are responsible for the success or failure of the university we represent,” Meshel said.