There’s new leadership at the University of Minnesota.

In a joint meeting Monday night, lawmakers from the Minnesota House and Senate selected three new members to the university’s Board of Regents and reelected a fourth.

The reelected regent is Tadd Johnson, who was the first Native American to be appointed to the board and will continue to represent the 8th Congressional District. The other three include:

• Robyn Gulley, a West Saint Paul City Council member who was elected for the 2nd Congressional District.
• Mary Turner, president of the Minnesota Nurses Association, elected for the 3rd Congressional District.
• Penny Wheeler, former Allina Health CEO, elected for an at-large seat.

The regents leaving the board are Steve Sviggum, Darrin Rosha and Ken Powell.

The board has been embroiled in controversy in recent months. In December, they approved University of Minnesota’s president Joan Gabel’s appointment to Securian Financial’s board of directors. Because the company covers life insurance for university employees, several regents raised conflict of interest concerns and Gabel resigned from the board.

In October, Regent Sviggum asked whether declining enrollment at the U of M’s Morris campus was due to “too much diversity” — he later resigned from his leadership role as vice chair and agreed to not seek reelection.

The new Board of Regents join also join at a pivotal point for the school.

“This is a critical time for the University of Minnesota,” said Rep. Gene Pelowski, DFL-Winona, chair of the House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee.

From facing a dip in enrollment across the university system, the U’s plan to purchase its health care facilities, to having to pick an interim and eventual permanent president due to President Gabel leaving for the University of Pittsburgh this summer, Rep. Pelowski says the board has plenty on its plate to get started.

“Is the next president going to be selected on the basis of salary? Or, is it going to be selected on the basis of competence and representing higher education and in particular, the University of Minnesota,” Pelowski said.

The newly elected regents start right away, with their first board meeting convening on Thursday. The only item on the agenda is to select finalists for interim president of the University of Minnesota.