Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. Friday tapped Teresa Theurer and Joel Wright to fill vacancies on the Utah State Board of Regents created by the resignations of Sara Sinclair and Josh Reid. Theurer was elected to the Utah State Board of Education in 2000 and has served on the boards of Utah College of Applied Technology, the Public Education Job Enhancement committee, and several state and national health committees. She holds a nursing degree from Weber State University.

"Teresa will be a tremendous asset as a Regent, with her dedicated experience on the Utah Board of Education and her medical background, she will be able to help guide our higher education system toward our 21st century workforce needs," Huntsman said. "I am grateful for her willingness to serve in this important capacity."

The governor's move, however, comes hardly a week after he declined to nominate Theurer for a third term on the school board. Her second term ends this year. While Theurer sought to run for re-election, Huntsman decided not to put her name on the ballot after a nominating committee ranked her last among a short-list of three candidates.

Wright, a land-use and planning attorney with Kirton & McConkie, has served as an interim appointee to the Utah State Charter School Board since January 2007 and as a city councilman for Cedar Hills. He earned his bachelor's at Brigham Young University and his law degree from New York University.

The appointments require Senate confirmation. - Brian Maffly and Lisa Schencker