Candidates vie for seats on MSU Board of Trustees

Although the presidential election will grab the country’s attention Nov. 4, another election closer to East Lansing has important implications for MSU.

Romney

Two MSU Board of Trustees seats are up for grabs among four candidates, including Republican incumbent Scott Romney. The other Republican candidate is Lisa Bouchard. Dianne Byrum and Diann Woodard make up the Democratic ticket.

The board is comprised of eight members who serve eight-year terms with staggered elections every two years.

“People really need to do their research and realize what’s at stake,” Bouchard said. “We have a $1.8 billion operating budget at Michigan State, and that’s a lot of tax dollars. People need to be aware who is the steward of those tax dollars and make sure they’re comfortable with what they’re doing because it’s really critical to our state.”

Romney, who was first elected to the board in 2000, is a Detroit-area lawyer and son of former Michigan Gov. George Romney and brother of former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

Bouchard lives in Oakland County and graduated from MSU with an accounting degree. She was president and CEO of the multimillion-dollar company Dickson Associates and said the experience she’s gained in the business world will help her on the board.

“I try to take that business experience, understanding how to manage very tight budgets and understanding how to cut expenses,” she said. “As a trustee, I would be looking for creative ways to cut expenses without affecting the quality of education and with that said, also searching for alternative sources of revenue.”

Although Romney will run for re-election, current Democratic trustee Dorothy Gonzales was not nominated at the state’s Democratic Convention. She said she wanted to run and the board still faces tough issues.

“We definitely have to work much harder to bring in more diversity on the campus,” Gonzales said.

Romney could not be reached for comment.

One of the Democrats looking to take Gonzales’ spot is Byrum, a former state representative and Democratic House leader. She said she wants to help college students deal with tough economic times.

“Michigan State University gave me a tremendous amount of opportunities and I wanted to make sure those same opportunities were available for students today and into the future,” Byrum said.

Woodard, the other Democratic nominee and executive vice president of the American Federation of School Administrators, looks to bring her knowledge of public education to the board.

“Part of her position on education is that the children are not getting educated the way they should,” Byrum spokeswoman Gwen Dawkins said.

“They’re coming to universities not prepared the way they should be. There should be some sort of bridge at the fundamental levels of the colleges and universities that would help enable (students) to better grasp life and expectations.”