2 North Dakota interim college leaders to continue as presidents

The North Dakota State Board of Higher Education has officially dropped its interim labels, naming two permanent college presidents during a Thursday session that highlighted a growing procedural debate within the state’s academic system.

Allen Burgad will take the helm at Valley City State University, while Lisa Karch will step into the long-term role at the North Dakota State College of Science, as reported by the North Dakota Monitor. While Burgad secured a unanimous vote behind closed doors, Karch’s appointment revealed a sharp division among board members over how higher education leaders are chosen in the state.

Skipping the Search Process at NDSCS

Karch has served as interim president at the North Dakota State College of Science since July 1. She originally stepped in to replace Rod Flanigan, who had planned a December 31 retirement before the board placed him on paid administrative leave through the end of the year.

When the board voted to make Karch’s position permanent, two members—Curtis Biller and Michelle Kommer—voted against the move. They made it clear that their opposition stemmed entirely from process rather than performance.

“It is not a dispute over your exceptional performance in the last four months,” Kommer said during the meeting. “My vote was just a matter of timing, and a sense that, from my perspective, that it was a premature decision.”

Board President Kevin Black and University System Commissioner Brent Sanford defended the decision by pointing to Karch’s strong ties to regional industry partners in Wahpeton and Fargo. Black acknowledged that bypassing a standard search breaks with higher education traditions, noting that the board simply recognized they already had an exceptional leader in place.

This approach is becoming a pattern for the board. Last year, the system appointed Brent Sanford to lead the North Dakota University System without a formal search after he served in an interim capacity. The board also skipped a search before naming Carmen Simone as president of Lake Region State College in 2025.

A Unanimous Path Forward for Valley City State

The board’s vote for Allen Burgad at Valley City State University played out differently, earning unanimous approval following a closed-door executive session. Burgad, a 1989 graduate of the institution and former dean of its Department of Education, has led the campus as interim president since December 2025.

His permanent appointment comes after a conventional presidential search committee was forced to alter its course. That committee suspended its work in April after multiple semifinalist candidates withdrew from consideration. Burgad stepped into the interim vacancy left by Alan LaFave, who departed to become president at Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

Before his tenure at Valley City State, Burgad built a career as an administrator across several K-12 school systems in the state, including West Fargo, Stanley, Northern Cass, and Napoleon. Board leadership emphasized that campus feedback praising his inclusive and collaborative leadership style heavily influenced the decision.