Iowa Regents expect to name new executive director next week

The Board of Regents at its meeting next week is expected to name a new executive director, replacing former director Bob Donley, who resigned over the summer.

A regents 'governance and evaluation committee” last month voted to advance just one of five semifinalists to become its next executive director. That person's name was not made public and he or she didn't participate in any public forum, like in searches for regent university heads.

The board committee narrowed a pool of 42 applicants, including 12 women, down to five semifinalists for the post. One of those five was a woman, and the board didn't provide information about additional diversity of its candidates.

A new executive director will replace Donley, who left in July after nine years with the board, calling it the right time for him personally and for the board - which was undergoing a leadership change.

The board's state relations office Keith Saunders has been serving as interim executive director - making $200,000. That is $50,000 above his current pay and $45,700 above a legislative cap for the position, which he's not bound by as an interim.

For years, the board skirted the legislative salary cap of $154,300 for the executive director position by granting Donley bonuses and deferred compensation packages. The board scaled down those offerings amid tightening budgets of late, and Donley - upon his departure - referred to the cap as 'an issue” the board is 'going to have to deal with.”