US EditionGov. Walz Appoints 4 New Members to the U of M Board of Regents
Governor Tim Walz appointed four interim regents to fill vacancies caused by a legislative deadlock, ensuring continued governance amid significant budget and funding challenges, officials said.
- On Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz named four new interim members—Joel Bergstrom, Samuel Heins, Ellen Luger and Kowsar Mohamed—to the University of Minnesota Board of Regents, filling vacant seats amid a legislative deadlock.
- With four regent seats vacant as of July 1, 2025, the Minnesota Legislature did not hold a joint convention this year, prompting Walz to appoint interim members.
- Complementing the group, Joel Bergstrom and Kowsar Mohamed offer diverse expertise, with Heins a retired U.S. Ambassador to Norway and Luger a former UN food agency leader in Rome.
- Meanwhile, the new regents will join amid budget strains, with the Legislature able to confirm them for six-year terms when it reconvenes in February.
- Amid broader enrollment trends, international student numbers could fall, following a nationwide trend, as the Board of Regents approved budget cuts of about 7% and tuition increases.
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Former ambassador, ex-UN food aid leader among 4 new regents selected for U of M
ST. PAUL — Four new members gained spots Tuesday, Aug. 12, on the University of Minnesota's Board of Regents, a full third of the board at a time of immense challenge for the land-grant college. Member at Large Joel Bergstrom is a principal at Orion Search Group, where he leads executive searches for clients across the nonprofit, public, and private sectors.Courtesy of the University of Minnesota They include a former U.S. ambassador to Norway, …
Gov. Tim Walz names four new University of Minnesota regents
Walz picks for U of M Board depart from recommendations
When Marion Rarick saw who Gov. Tim Walz picked to join the University of Minnesota Board of Regents, she did not recognize two of the four names. “It was nobody we ever saw who came through the process,” said Rarick, R-Maple Lake, and co-chair of the House Higher Education and Finance Policy Committee. The process Rarick refers to is the state legislature’s duty to pick who is on the 12-person U of M Board, a body that’s responsible for every…
Gov. Walz names four to fill UMN Board of Regents vacancies
Gov. Tim Walz named four new members of the University of Minnesota’s Board of Regents Tuesday. Joel Bergstrom and Samuel Heins will serve as at-large representatives, with Kowsar Mohamed serving as the student at-large. Ellen Luger will represent the 5th Congressional District. The new members include a search firm principal, a retired U.S. ambassador, former minister counselor at the United States Mission to the United Nations and a doctoral s…
Governor Walz announces new UMN Regent appointments
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced his selections for the University of Minnesota’s Board of Regents Tuesday afternoon, after a deadlocked legislative process left four seats vacant as of July 1. Joel Bergstrom, Samuel Heins, Ellen Luger and Kowsar Mohamed will serve as interim regents on the board until the Minnesota House and Senate are able to hold a joint session and appoint their official selections. Bergstrom and Heins will serve as me…
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