By Tim Carpenter, Kansas Reflector
TOPEKA — A Kansas Senate committee voted Wednesday to recommend confirmation of a Manhattan businessman to the Kansas Board of Regents and to direct a Salina attorney nominated to the higher education board to undergo additional vetting by legislators.
The Senate Confirmation Oversight Committee agreed to advance to the full Senate the nomination of 11 people to serve on state commissions, boards, authorities or to be promoted by the Kansas National Guard.
The committee embraced Gov. Laura Kelly’s nomination of Matt Crocker, recipient of bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business from Kansas State University, to the Board of Regents. The nine-member board appointed by the governor has responsibility for more than 30 public universities, community colleges and technical colleges across the state.
Crocker works as chief executive officer of SBS Companies, a collection of nine metal distribution companies based in Manhattan.
“We employ over 1,300 employees across 14 states and Mexico — the majority of which are blue-collar,” said Crocker, who previously was employed at Koch Industries, a predecessor to Evergy and at Citadel hedge fund in Chicago. “I believe that I will bring a robust set of experiences and perspectives to the regents role.”
Senate Majority Leader Chase Blasi, R-Wichita, asked whether Crocker thought Kansas State administrators had been sufficiently innovative in terms of its approach to reforming higher education.
Crocker said universities nationally were too rigid in terms of promoting change and could miss opportunities to get more out of investments derived from taxpayers or the private sector.
“When you have limited resources, you need to make sure that you’re utilizing those in the most efficient and effective manner,” Crocker said.
Blasi asserted Kansas State hadn’t taken proper steps to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs from its campuses. DEI programs were designed to create fair and welcoming environments within companies or at colleges, but DEI has been targeted for elimination by Republicans in the Kansas Legislature.
“In fact, they seem like they were focused on rebranding DEI,” Blasi said. “We keep hearing about K-State not doing what they’re supposed to be doing. So, could you look into that?”
Peter Johnston, a Salina attorney with a practice concentrated on health care law, had his nomination to the Board of Regents referred to the Senate Education Committee. His credentials and temperament to serve on the board would be scrutinized by that committee during the 2026 legislative session prior to consideration by the full Senate.
Johnston, who earned English and law degrees at University of Kansas, said he served as primary attorney for Salina Regional Health Center and was associated with hospitals in Lindsborg, Concordia, Abilene and elsewhere in Kansas.
“I want to serve on the Board of Regents because the public schools in the state have given me virtually everything that I treasure in my life,” he said. “It’s an opportunity for me to give back.”
Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican running for governor, said he received calls questioning Johnston’s nomination. Masterson said there was concern Johnston might not be fair to all public colleges and universities in the state. The skepticism was based on a report Johnston made “pretty disparaging remarks” about one of the state’s universities, Masterson said.
“I’m concerned about … your ability to look at some of the other institutions that may not be your preferred institution,” Masterson said.
Johnston said he wasn’t the “KU” appointee to the Board of Regents and that he would dedicate himself to serving the entire higher education system.
In addition, Masterson said referral of the nomination to the education committee was warranted because of an email Johnston sent to his own state senator in opposition to a proposed constitutional amendment allowing direct election of Kansas Supreme Court members. The amendment, championed by Masterson, will be on the ballot in August.
“I’m not saying, ‘No.’ I just want more time,” Masterson said. “We have precedent for this.”
In 2022, the Senate Education Committee was assigned the task of reviewing three Kelly nominations to the Board of Regents. That list consisted of former BNSF Railway executive Carl Ice, retired Kansas City school superintendent Cynthia Lane and former banker and state Sen. Wint Winter. The committee declined to endorse Lane and Winter, but all three nominees were confirmed by the Senate.
Much of that spotlight was on Winter, a former Republican senator who opposed reelection of Gov. Sam Brownback in 2014.
“For the record,” Masterson said, “I was originally opposed to him (Winter), became a supporter of him … and became very pleased with his activities on the board.”
Other nominees endorsed Wednesday by the Senate committee included Kansas Air National Guard Col. Kent Crane to the rank of brigadier general, Natalie Haag to the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission and Dave Harrison to the University of Kansas Hospital Authority.
