Former State Senator and retired banker John Stinner of Gering is now a member of the Western Nebraska Community College Board of Governors.
Stinner, who was term-limited in the legislature last year, fills the vacancy created last month by the retirement after more than 30 years of at-large board member Dr Tom Perkins.
Stinner was selected by the board at its meeting Wednesday and was sworn-in immediately – although by Zoom instead of in person because he was out of town. He will serve out the rest of Perkins’ term, which ends next December.
Board member Karen Anderson, part of the ad-hoc committee that reviewed the applications to succeed Perkins, told the rest of the board that it was a solid pool of candidates from across WNCC’s 12 county region.
Anderson said 4 of the applicants were “phenomenal (and) very passionate about the college,” adding that it was “very uplifting to see four people willing to serve on the board that were that excited about it.”