Recently the Kansas Senate confirmed three members appointed by Governor Laura Kelly, to the State Board overseeing higher education and one of them is a former Ottawa resident. Wint Winter, Jr. grew up inn Ottawa and graduated from Ottawa High School with the class of 1971. He was the CEO and Co-Chairman of Peoples Bank and served in the Kansas Senate from 1982 to 1992. The others are former Kansas City, Kansas, School Superintendent Dr. Cynthia Lane and former Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway CEO, Carl Ice. There was some opposition to Winter and Lane. Winter is a moderate Republican known for criticizing conservatives. Lane was superintendent while her district was suing the State over education funding.
The Kansas Board of Regents is a nine member body that governs the six state universities and coordinates the state’s public higher education system.
