Central ND News

Gov. Kelly Armstrong has appointed Levi Bachmeier and Patrick Sogard to the North Dakota Board of Higher Education, effective July 1. The appointments will last four years.

"Levi and Pat bring valuable experience in education policy, finance and operations to the State Board of Higher Education as our colleges and universities are being challenged by changing demographics and learning models," Armstrong stated. "Our University System is still the best workforce recruiting tool we have, and we need our campuses to align their offerings with workforce needs, adapt to trends and thrive, not just survive."

Bachmeier is currently the business manager for West Fargo School District. His previous roles include serving as an education policy adviser for former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum from 2016 to 2019. He also has experience teaching high school social studies through Teach for America and worked as a policy analyst fellow at the U.S. Department of Education. Bachmeier holds a bachelor's degree in education from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota.

Sogard has been chairing the board of American State Bank & Trust Co. in Williston since 2003, having served earlier as a trust officer there from 2000 to 2005. He practiced law privately from 1986 to 2000 after earning his degrees from the University of North Dakota in geological engineering and law.

Both appointments require confirmation by the state Senate. Bachmeier will replace Casey Ryan, who is finishing his second term on the board—the maximum allowed under state rules—while Sogard will take over from Jeffry Volk, who joined the board in 2021.

The Board of Higher Education consists of eight voting members appointed by the governor, one student member included among them, along with two non-voting representatives from faculty and staff within North Dakota's public college system.