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The search for Utah's next commissioner of technical education is down to four names, the board of trustees for the Utah College of Applied Technology announced Saturday.
Finalists for the position —which until this year was known as UCAT president — include acting commissioner Jared Haines, state school board member Stan Lockhart, Utah State University executive vice provost David Woolstenhulme and James King, vice chancellor of the Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology.
In a prepared statement, Jim Evans, chairman of the UCAT board of trustees, said he was "thrilled" by the quality of candidates who applied to lead the state's technical education system.
"With over 35,000 students across eight colleges throughout the state, UCAT is a key player in Utah's robust economy," Evans said. "I look forward to the Board having a thorough discussion with the finalists as we seek a commissioner to lead UCAT during this exciting time."
Haines was appointed acting UCAT commissioner in March, following the retirement of Rob Brems, who held the position of president since 2009.
Brems intended to step down last year, but his chosen successor, former state Sen. Aaron Osmond, reversed his decision to accept the position after being offered a promotion by his employer Certiport Global Business Unit.
Osmond's reversal also came after the release of a legislative audit that revealed UCAT's graduation rates had been inflated by including students who'd quit coursework to enter the labor force, or who'd completed short-term training programs.
Auditors said the false graduation numbers were likely reported in service of a statewide goal that two-thirds of Utahns complete a post-secondary education program by 2020.
Brems' most recent tenure as president was his second term leading UCAT. He resigned as president in 2007 after an audit revealed he underreported his income on tax forms and that the school's Orem campus used public funding to build a parade float for the Utah County Republican Party.
The 2015 audit led to a series of changes to UCAT governance during the most recent legislative session, sponsored by St. George Republican Sen. Stephen Urquhart, which emphasized the role of the UCAT board of trustees and restructured the position of president to create a commissioner of technical education.
"UCAT is doing some good things," Urquhart told lawmakers in March, "but we've seen UCAT struggle a bit."
The four finalists for the position of UCAT commissioner will be interviewed by the board of trustees on Sept. 14. The board's selection also requires the formal nomination of the governor and confirmation by the Utah Senate.
The public is invited to provide feedback on the finalists by emailing public.input@ucat.edu.
Before his appointment as acting UCAT commissioner, Haines worked for 11 years as UCAT's vice president for Instruction, Student Services and Public Relations and as vice president of the Mountainland Applied Technology College.
Lockhart was appointed to the state school board in July 2015, filling the vacancy left after board member Mark Openshaw was killed in a plane crash. He's the government affairs manager for IM Flash, a member of the STEM Action Center Board of Directors and a former chairman of the Utah Republican Party. Lockhart is also the widower of former House Speaker Becky Lockhart, who died in January 2015.
Woolstenhulme is a former president of the Uintah Basin Applied Technology College and former associate director of Utah State University's Uintah Basin Regional Campus.
King has held his current position of vice chancellor of the Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology for 17 years. He is a member of the Tennessee Board of Regents and previously served as director of the Tennessee Technology Centers in Jackson, Tenn.
Twitter: @bjaminwood