Governor Laura Kelly appointed Cheryl Harrison-Lee, Jon Rolph, and Shellaine “Shelly” Kiblinger to the Kansas Board of Regents.

 

“Cheryl, Jon, and Shelly are highly qualified professionals and ready to step up and take on this challenge,” Kelly said. “I look forward to their contributions as we work to ensure that our universities thrive.”

 

Cheryl Harrison-Lee, Gardner, recently served as City Administrator for the City of Gardner, Kan. Previously, she served as Chief Administrative Officer for the city of Eatonville, Fla, and as Deputy City Manager of the City of Daytona Beach, Fla. Harrison-Lee received an M.A. from the University of Florida in Urban and Regional Planning Concentration: Public Administration, and a B.A. in journalism from the University of South Carolina.

 

Jon Rolph, Wichita, is President and CEO of Thrive Restaurant Group (formerly known as Sasnak Management), which owns and operates 41 Applebee’s, 18 Carlos O’Kelly’s Mexican restaurants, and two HomeGrown restaurants in the breakfast/lunch space. The restaurants are located in 10 states across the Midwest and Virginia.  Jon was a two-time Student Body President at Baylor University, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2001. After graduating, Jon worked with college student leaders as an intern for the National Student Leadership Forum in Washington, D.C. He returned to Kansas in 2002 to work in the family-owned businesses.

 

Shelly Kiblinger, Cherryvale, currently serves as Superintendent of Cherryvale Public Schools, USD 447. Kiblinger previously served as Superintendent of Hutchinson Public Schools, USD 308, from 2011-2017, and prior to that, served as Assistant Superintendent of Garden City Public Schools, USD 457. She holds a Doctor of Education in Educational Administration and Leadership from Kansas State University and a Master of Science in Educational Leadership from Pittsburg State University.

 

The Kansas Board of Regents is a bipartisan, nine-member board composed of members who serve for a staggered period of four years. Each member is appointed by the Governor, and subject to confirmation by the Senate.