It's an honor to be Nominated...

You may have heard that Governor Brewer has nominated me to a Position on the Board of Regents.  The Regents position is one of the most coveted in state government and I want to thank Governor Brewer and her staff for this honor. Some folks have asked questions about my nomination and I would like to address a few of them.

Is Patterson really qualified to be on the Board of Regents? 

That’s a good question. And I think the answer is clearly yes.

I’m an attorney and a CPA, so I have a solid background in legal and budgetary issues.  I served four years in the Arizona House of Representatives—All four years on the Appropriations Committee as well as  serving as Chairman of the Banking and Insurance Committee plus the Government Operations Committee.  So I understand the legislative process—especially the budget process.   (Since I was Chief of staff of the Senate for about a year, I’ve also seen the legislative process from the staff side—which pays better, but isn’t nearly as fun.)

Additionally, I ran the Residential Utility Consumer Office for over four years.  RUCO is a small agency, but it deals with complex issues and it’s charged with representing the interests of residential consumers—which I think is great training for sitting on the Board of Regents.  After all, the university system is also a complex system with a broad set of stakeholders—some of which don’t have the time, training or ability to be at the table. 

While I believe my legal experience, accounting training, legislative service and consumer advocate work alone have provided me with enough experience to serve as a Regent, the position that has provided the most training is my current position as a member of the Maricopa Integrated Health System Board.  MIHS is a $600 million integrated health system that includes the County Hospital, 11 clinics and the Burn Center.  The system is governed by a five member Board that is elected to four year terms.  I was elected in 2008 and serve District 2 which is co-terminus with the County Supervisor district that Don Stapley currently holds.

The hospital faces many of the same problems that the Universities face—shrinking state and federal funding, increasing economic and social pressures and a need to continually refine and re-evaluate its role in the community.  My four years on this Board have helped me to work in a Governing Board environment in order to work with a diverse group to handle complex issues.  (It's also given me a chance to work with Betsey Bayless who does a great job and has become a really good friend.)

I also have a lot of non-academic qualifications.  My undergraduate degree is from UA.  My graduate degree is from ASU—and they are 23 years apart--so I have a student’s perspective on both schools.  I also have a parent’s perspective.  My son is a freshman at the Barrett Honors College.   I know how hard the application process is, how frustrating the website can be and how expensive college is.  I also think I have good understanding of the employees’ perspective.  My mother was hired as a secretary (her word) at UA in 1981 and retired as a Senior Program Coordinator in 2002. 

I think that I am clearly qualified.

Here's another concern that I've heard: Patterson has been critical of the Regents and the Presidents.

That's true.  Here’s a great example.  It’s a post I wrote in 2007 in which I argued tuition had increased so much that kids couldn’t afford college and that many degrees had lost their economic value, so students were opting not to attend—or finish—college.  Guess what?  My criticisms have become the accepted wisdom.  Tuition is too high, many degrees are not economic, students are making rational decisions to forgo college. 

The Regents figured out this answer as well and shifted course—and when they did, I praised them for their leadership.  Here’s an excerpt from a “Best Of” post that I wrote in January of this year.

Best Organizational Leadership: Fred Duval's Chairmanship of the Board of Regents.

I've certainly been critical of the Board of Regents in the past, but I have to say that I think the Board is moving in the right direction and much of that has been attributable to Fred Duval's work as Chairman.

While the Regents and University Presidents are making great strides in the right direction, I still have concerns.  I expressed them here. 

Patterson has been unfair to Michael Crow. 

I've thought long and hard about this one; I've talked to Dr. Crow and reviewed old posts. I've concluded that I was indeed unfair to Dr. Crow in this post.  The post is about Robert Shelton's comments about the Legislature.  I also referred to a decision that Dr. Crow had made and lumped them together as examples of "disdain" for the Legislature.  That was unfair.  Shelton's sins shouldn't fall on Crow.  I've since talked to Dr. Crow and I believe that he has a great deal of respect for the Legislature.  If confirmed, I look forward to the opportunity to work with him.

Patterson is a lobbyist.

Actually, the way the disclosure rules work, everyone is a lobbyist.  Most of my "day job" is legal work in front of the Corporation Commission, but I am indeed a registered lobbyist.  Most of my actual lobbying is on behalf of the Foundation for Blind Children.  Naturally, I would recuse myself from any Regent votes that affected my clients (although I can't envision any possible overlap.)

Patterson will blog about the Regents.

Actually, I have a strict "no blogging about clients" policy.  That's why you don't read about the Hospital or the Corporation Commission in Espresso Pundit. If confirmed, I won't be blogging about the Regent.

So there you have it.  I hope that I have addressed any questions that have been raised about my nomination.  I look forward to having a frank discussion with the committee members and I hope that they will vote to confirm me. 

It has indeed been an honor to be nominated. 

 

Comments

[RonJ]

I have no issue with Greg's qualifications for a position on the Board of Regents. I do have some concern that there are those who would complain that Greg (or any sitting or potential Regent) is critical of a sitting university president. So what!? I want all Regents to hold the presidents' feet to the fire. Looking at the top-heavy administrations of all the schools should be of concern to everyone. I hope Greg goes forward and holds each president accountable for every dollar spent, regardless of its source. We need no sychophants on the Board of Regents.

[ditto]

Greg here's hoping you can make the economic argument to the regents that decreasing tuition will increase revenues for the Universities

[Craig]

Congratulations, you will make a great Regent

[Michael Demers]

Good luck!

[Carrie]

Congratulations, what a huge honor! I think you will be confirmed and provide an educated and fair perspective on all sides :)

[Tod]

Congratulations!

Excellent nomination!!!

[Bill]

I will be disappointed in any legislator who doesn't vote to confirm Greg Patterson. Very disappointed. Our state universities can really benefit from Greg's perspective and fresh thinking.

[Craig]

OK, you have my vote.

[James Strock]

Congratulations, Greg! Am sure you'll serve the state with distinction, following confirmation to this important position. Thank you for your service.

[Crocker Jarmon]

I think the Arizona university system would best be served if Greg was appointed as Athletic Director for ASU. This would allow him to utilize his true talents.

[RonJ]

Hiking, blogging and drinking coffee are not yet NCAA-santioned competitive sports.

[AllUsBadGuys]

Dude, why wasn't Greg on the Board already? The ONLY downside to Greg being on the board is that us regular folks won't hear about the shenanigans going on inside it.

[Randy Pullen]

Congratulations, you are well qualified and have common sense, something in short supply these days.

[iron horse]

Seems like you are spread pretty thin Greg. Which one of your other "jobs" are you going to give up to make time for this job?

[BobH]

Best wishes on the nomination, Greg.

I agree, though, with the comment above that I'll be disappointed not to be reading here about the Regents. I also agree with RonJ that having criticized a president of a university should not be in any way a disqualification.

[Jason]

Since it might seem petty for you to write it here, I'll say it for you: The Republic's article on your nomination was another great example of what you "frequently condemn" in the newspapers. How do they measure "more controversy than usual?" Is it even news that Democrats (only one of whom they actually cite) oppose a Republican appointment? Since when is the executive director of a political party a credible source for calling someone else's appointment "narrowly partisan"? And where did they learn to spend the first half of the article detailing critiques of a "conservative blogger" before mentioning any of your government experience? Sadly, probably just what you expected from them.

In any case, congratulations on the appointment. Not that you need it in the current political environment, but you have the support of one Democrat who thinks you'll be a fine addition.

[westsider]

Betsy Bayless was the most constituent-friendly supervisors on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in the past 30 years.

[RonJ]

Betsy Bayless doesn't have a confrontational bone in her body. Always a nice person.

[Peeves]

Today's Republic story is your badge of honor. It's like having a page A1 endorsement ... You should frame it.

[kjzarda27@yahoo.com]

I hope they give it to you. Good Luck.

[Matt Sh.]

Could you repost that chart on the cost of tuition at ASU from 1990 to today?

[lmcsur]

The last thing AZ needs is far right wing idealogy on the Board of Regents. Right wing politics and public education are like oil and water. How can this be good for students, the schools and the taxpayers in general? Read your own blogs! A leopard does not change his spots. (Also see that consideration of your nomination has been removed from the agenda. Proof enough that someone is not sure about this either.)

[Tom]

If anyone honestly believes Crandall has the juice the hold this up for any length of time with his stated excuse, they're kidding themselves.

[Navajo Reader]

Excellent choice for the Arizona BOR. Good luck Greg, and oh yeah, who will be telling us what's going on inside the education circles after you get the post?

[RonJ]

Moderate Crandall can't hold up the nomination forever. He's just posturing (what a surprise) for his lefty friends in the education bureaucracy. He knows he has no support from anyone on the right, so he has has to shore up his support from the mods and the left. Looking forward to his primary run against a solid conservative, John Fillmore.

[burt]

Congratulations. I agree with Tom; excellent choice. I can't think of a more qualified, or needed, candidate. I cherish your blog and only wish you'd write more and more often. I sometimes fantasize about being on the Regents and what I would do to shake things up. I think the ubiquitous average college professor is vastly overpaid and underworked, while the rare, capable and dedicated professor is underpaid and overworked. Hope you will be able to address that imbalance.

[Mark Dioguardi]

Having talked to Greg Patterson at length about his positions on higher education, I can tell you we really need him on the Board of Regents. We need to get the cost of a college education under control so people do not have to become indentured servants to student loan debt just to go to college. And we need to shepherd students into degree programs that will result in their being employable upon graduation. These are priorities of his, and he is the man to get that job done.

[Mark Mansfeld]

Crandall ditched the nomination. So sad.

Perhaps Patterson ought to consider an apology to State Senator Jerry Lewis for the box of old clothing hatchet job he pulled last fall. Nah, slay me. Won't happen.

Paybacks are a bitch.

[generic pharmacy]

Betsy Bayless was the most constituent-friendly supervisors on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in the past 30 years.

[Matt]

I read about Crandall holding up the nomination hoping for a person with big business experience. Hogwash. I am not interested in our state universities being more freindly towards big business. They are in the business of education, not R&D for out of state companies. If money is so tight for universities they can do like the rest of us have done, including state and local governments and downsize. Get rid of outdated programs that cost a lot to run. Get rid of buildings that are outdated and expensive to maintain/upgrade. Get out of the housing business, etc.

[westsider]

I have nothing to do with generic pharmacy who re-posted my post.

[Washington Irving]

I think lemonparty.org put it best

[Robert Morris]

You were fabulous in the hearing. The plain good sense and honest speaking were right on target. I hope you can get my school, ASU, back on track. My senator voted just the way I asked her.

[Bobby Hull]

Way to go Greg! The Espresso Pundit will be missed greatly.