Iowa Senate confirms Branstad’s three regent appointees

DES MOINES – The Iowa Senate voted unanimously Tuesday to confirm Gov. Terry Branstad's three appointees to the state Board of Regents.

Bruce Rastetter, 54, of Hubbard, Katie Mulholland, 63, of Marion, and Nicole Carroll, 57, of Carroll, each received the required two-thirds (34) affirmative votes needed for confirmation to terms beginning May 1.

Mulholland is superintendent of the Linn-Mar school district in Marion, Carroll is an attorney and Rastetter is the chief executive officer of Hawkeye Energy Holdings LLC. They are Branstad's choices to replace Michael Gartner, Bonnie Campbell and Rose Vasquez once their regents' terms expire April 30.

Also Tuesday, senators voted to confirm David Rose and Charese Yanney to the Iowa Transportation Commission, former state Rep. Libby Jacobs as chairwoman and member of the Iowa Utilities Board, former state Sen. Larry Nobel as state public safety commissioner, Courtney Kay-Decker as director of the Iowa Department of Revenue, Douglas Hoelscher as director of the Office of State-Federal Relations, David Lingren as executive director of the Iowa Telecommunications and Technology Commission, former state Rep. and Brig. Gen. Jodi Tymeson as executive director of the Iowa Commission of Veterans Affairs, David Worley as commandant of the Iowa Veterans Home, James Schipper as state banking superintendent, Beth Townsend as director of the Iowa State Civil Rights Commission, former state Sen. Joann Johnson as state superintendent of credit unions, Richard Stradley, chairman and member of the Property Assessment Appeal Board, and Jeff Ward as executive director of the state Agricultural Development Authority.

All the gubernatorial candidates up for individual confirmation votes Tuesday received 50-0 support except Lee Clancey of Cedar Rapids, who was reappointed to the Iowa Power Fund Board on a 45-5 vote with five GOP senators registering no votes.

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