BISMARCK, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler said Wednesday that a selection committee has forwarded recommendations to Gov. Doug Burgum for appointments to the state Board of Public School Education.

The seven-member board acts on requests from school districts to dissolve, reorganize, or transfer property. Members automatically become part of the Board of Career and Technical Education, which oversees North Dakota’s state CTE department and CTE programs.

The governor appoints board members to six-year terms. State law requires the presidents of North Dakota United, the North Dakota School Boards Association and the North Dakota Council of Educational Leaders to submit lists of names for openings.

On Wednesday, the presidents agreed to forward the names of eight candidates to the governor to represent Burleigh, Eddy, Foster, Kidder, McLean, Sheridan, Stutsman and Wells counties. The governor will choose a person from among those candidates to represent that group of counties. The candidates are:

Kenneth Aune, Jamestown, band director at Jamestown Middle School;

Rick Diegel, Steele, the superintendent of Kidder County public schools;

Donald Emch, Bismarck, a retired schoolteacher and administrator;

Burdell Johnson, Tuttle, a farmer/rancher and business owner;

Andrew Jordan, Bismarck, the superintendent of Wilton public schools;

Nick Klemisch, Garrison, the superintendent of Garrison public schools;

Marsha Lembke, Bismarck, a retired former administrator for the North Dakota Department of Transportation; and

Jason Rohr, Jamestown, a senior crop insurance specialist for AgCountry Farm Credit Services.

One candidate, incumbent board member Sonia Meehl, of Oakes, applied for a second term. Her name was forwarded to the governor to represent Dickey, Emmons, LaMoure, Logan, McIntosh, Ransom, Richland, and Sargent counties.

Baesler is a member of the Board of Public School Education and serves as its executive secretary. Its remaining six members represent groups of counties, which are listed in state law (NDCC 15.1-01-01(1)).