Regents appoint interim executive director

State Relations Officer Keith Saunders, one of the Board of Regents most senior staffers, has been tapped to serve as the board's interim executive director - accepting a $50,000 raise, pushing his pay over a legislative cap for the executive director post.

The nine-member volunteer Board of Regents - which has been battling deep funding cuts and navigating big higher education changes in its oversight of Iowa's three public universities and two special schools - will consider approving Saunders' appointment at a special meeting Wednesday.

Saunders, who joined the board in 2004 and currently serves as its primary public affairs and legislative contact, is slated to take over executive director duties on July 16 - when outgoing Executive Director Robert Donley officially leaves.

'I look forward to assisting the governance committee in conducting a successful search for a new executive director and remaining a strong advocate for public higher education in Iowa,” Saunders said in a statement.

Donley, 57, announced his resignation earlier this month, explaining he's been considering an exit for months and now seemed the right time - with a new president and president pro tem atop the board. With no new position lined up, Donley said his immediate plans involve traveling and spending time with family.

He told reporters after resigning that a legislative salary cap of $154,300 for the position is unusual and puts the job among the lowest-paid of its kind nationally. When he was recruited for the job nine years ago, Donley said, the cap was 'an issue” - although the board for years skirted the limit and paid him much more, double at times, through bonuses and deferred compensation.

Donley in 2015 made $338,466 - more than double the cap. In the 2016 budget year, Donley earned $287,267 - including his capped salary but deferred compensation and performance incentives. He's due for a payout from another deferred compensation plan worth $140,000 on July 1.

In Saunders' interim role, he'll make $200,000, which is $50,000 above his current pay and $45,700 above the cap. An interim executive director is not subject to the salary cap based on an Iowa Attorney General opinion, according to Brock Ascher, a board spokesman.

'The salary was set at its current level because Keith must keep this current job responsibilities as well as take on the additional responsibilities of interim executive director,” Ascher said.

Once the board hires a new executive director, Saunders will return to his previous role and previous salary, according to Ascher.

After considering Saunders' appointment Wednesday, regents will be asked to authorize the board's governance committee to initiate and conduct the search for a permanent director. The board recently created its new governance committee, which is chaired by regents President Pro Tem Patty Cownie and also includes regents Sherry Bates and Nancy Boettger.

Saunders, who will not be considered for the permanent job, will work on the search in consultation with the committee, according to board documents.

A tentative search timeline includes advertising the position in July and narrowing a pool of candidates, interviewing semifinalists, and forwarding finalist recommendations to the board in August. The board is tentatively planning to interview finalists and make a choice in September.

At the same time, the board - through a 21-member search committee - will be looking for a new Iowa State University president after former ISU President Steven Leath resigned earlier this year. A timeline for that search has the committee identifying finalists in late September and the board making a final selection by late October.

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