Brent Sanford

BISMARCK — The State Board of Higher Education (SBHE) selected Brent Sanford to serve as the interim chancellor of the North Dakota University System (NDUS) during Monday’s special board meeting, according to a NDUS news release.

Chancellor Mark Hagerott announced his retirement effective April 29 on Friday. Sanford, former North Dakota lieutenant governor, has been serving as interim president at Bismarck State College since Jan. 9. At the same meeting, the SBHE named Dr. Dan Leingang to fill the interim president position at BSC.

“I thank Mark for his service to the state’s higher education system over the past decade, and I welcome Brent for stepping up not once, but twice in a few short months to serve where he was needed in the system,” SBHE Chair Tim Mihalick said. “Our highest priority is our students and building collaborative partnerships with the state’s workforce to meet their needs. Brent will lead systemwide collaboration among our campuses, and he has the leadership experience in business and state government to ensure that connection remains strong between the system and community needs.”

Sanford will start his new role as chancellor effective April 30.

“I appreciate the opportunity to serve in a leadership role that includes all of the state’s higher education campuses,” Sanford said. “I am ready for this challenge. I look forward to leading collaboration of campuses on systemwide efforts and responding at speed and scale to workforce challenges. I am confident that the North Dakota University System can become the number one workforce solution for North Dakota and our region.”

Sanford graduated from the University of North Dakota with a bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1994. He worked as a CPA for Eide Bailly from 1994 through 2002 and then became the chief financial officer of Transwest, Inc. in Colorado. He moved back to Watford City in 2004, purchasing his family-run car dealership.

He was elected to the Watford City Council in 2006 and was elected mayor in 2010. Sanford served as lieutenant governor for the first six years of former Gov. Doug Burgum’s two-term tenure.