The South Dakota Board of Regents says Executive Director and CEO Dr Brian Maher is stepping down when his current contract expires at the end of June and that he will be succeeded by current Chief of Staff and General Counsel Nathan Lukkes.
Mahar says his departure after 3 years “comes with ease, knowing the Board Office is in such great hands,” calling Lukkes “a leader within the system and is highly trusted and valued.”
Maher became executive director just after the South Dakota legislature ordered an in-depth look into the state’s higher education system. He led the resulting task force that recommended over 30 initiatives
Among those were prioritized system-wide services and increased viability for the University Centers now known as University of South Dakota – Sioux Falls and Black Hills State University – Rapid City..
Maher also worked with the regents to keep tuition rates nearly frozen all 3 years despite a period of double-digit inflation.
Maher says the last 3 years “have been a wonderful complement to a career in education,” first as a teacher, then a K-12 administrator, and finally as the Executive Director for South Dakota’s public university system – I feel especially fulfilled.”
Regents Board President Pam Roberts says Maher’s leadership “truly impacted higher education in South Dakota” because he was tasked to focus on accessibility, affordability, and retention for our public universities, and he delivered.”
Roberts is also excited to have Lukkes as the next executive director/CEO, saying he’s shown strong leadership and successful collaboration with stakeholders. She’s also pleased Lukkes and Maher will have several weeks to work together in transition.
Lukkes joined the Regents in 2014 as Assistant Vice President for Research and Economic Development. Before that, he was Deputy Commissioner of the South Dakota Governor’s Office of Economic Development and a private practice attorney.