Ohio Representative Rick Carfagna Elected Vice Chair of Midwestern Higher Education Compact

MINNEAPOLIS, MN; and COLUMBUS, OH – Ohio State Representative Rick Carfagna was elected vice chair of the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) on November 9, during the commission’s Annual Commission Meeting, held virtually due to the pandemic.

One of four regional higher education compacts in the United States, MHEC brings together midwestern states to develop and support best practices, collaborative efforts, and cost-sharing opportunities. Through these efforts it works to ensure strong, equitable postsecondary educational opportunities and outcomes for all.

“Representative Carfagna’s leadership as the House Finance Subcommittee Chair in the Ohio House of Representatives will continue to serve the Compact and we look forward to his service as MHEC’s new vice chair,” said Susan Heegaard, MHEC president. “As we navigate these uncertain times of the pandemic, it will be important to remain connected to policy makers in our member states and demonstrate MHEC’s impact and value.”

Rep. Carfagna was appointed in March 2019 to a two-year term to serve on MHEC’s governing board. He is serving his second term in the Ohio House of Representatives and represents the 68th House District including the eastern half of Delaware County and all of Knox County. Also elected were Dr. David Eisler, president of Ferris State University in Michigan, who will serve as chair, and Dr. Devinder Malhotra, chancellor of Minnesota State, who will serve as treasurer.

“Serving as the treasurer of MHEC has been a tremendous honor, and I’m thrilled to continue representing Ohio on MHEC’s leadership team as its new vice chair," said Rep. Carfagna. "Our nation’s recovery from this pandemic will be fueled by our workforce. By combining interstate cooperation and resource sharing across our Compact’s 12 states and over 200 members, we can advance higher education and job training in the Midwest region."

MHEC’s states are synonymous with the Midwest census region states and Ohio has been a member since the Compact’s creation in 1991 and. In addition to Rep. Carfagna, Ohio commissioners are: Gary Cates, senior vice chancellor for Innovation and Enterprise Development at the Ohio Department of Higher Education; Dr. Stephanie Davidson, vice chancellor of Academic Affairs for the Ohio Department of Higher Education, Jack Hershey, president of the Ohio Association of Community Colleges; and Sen. Stephanie Kunze, chair of the Higher Education Committee in the Ohio Senate. Serving as commissioner alternates are Bruce Johnson, president of the Inter-University Council of Ohio; and Dr. David Ponitz, president emeritus of Sinclair College.

VISION: MHEC members collaborate to address the region’s most pressing challenges in higher education and transform educational opportunities so that people and communities thrive.

MISSION: MHEC brings together midwestern states to develop and support best practices, collaborative efforts, and cost-sharing opportunities. Through these efforts it works to ensure strong, equitable postsecondary educational opportunities and outcomes.

HOW MHEC WORKS: MHEC’s strategic approach highlights member states’ strong desire for collaboration, effectiveness, and efficiency. MHEC believes that collaborative actions informed by research and best practices are the catalyst for improving quality, accessibility, relevance, and affordability of postsecondary educational opportunities. MHEC does this primarily through the following approaches: convenings, programs, research, and cost-savings contracts. Increasingly, MHEC looks to leverage these approaches in conjunction with each other to serve its strategic priorities.

MEMBER STATES: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. www.mhec.org

Contact
Mary Roberson
MHEC Senior Director of Communications and Marketing
maryr@mhec.org
(612) 677-2765 direct | (612) 805-3396 cell