Brent Sanford, Interim Chancellor of North Dakota University System, Appointed to WICHE Commission

Sanford is a trusted leader in public education, state government, and business

BOULDER, COLORADO — Brent Sanford, a higher education leader and former lieutenant governor of North Dakota, has been appointed as a Commissioner to the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). WICHE is a regional interstate compact serving the higher education and workforce needs of 15 Western states and the U.S. Pacific Territories and Freely Associated States.

Sanford joins state Sen. Kyle Davison and North Dakota State Board of Higher Education member Danita Bye in representing North Dakota on the WICHE Commission. WICHE’s 48 Commissioners are appointed by the state’s governors or, in the case of the freely associated states, the leader of those three sovereign nations. The Commission guides WICHE’s direction and assures that the Western Regional Educational Compact is carried out for the benefit of the West since its establishment in 1953.

“Brent Sanford’s background — from mayor during an oil boom to lieutenant governor and interim leader of North Dakota’s public postsecondary institutions — demonstrates his financial expertise, public service, and community values,” said WICHE President Demarée

Michelau. “His thoug htful, balanced perspective will serve North Dakota and beyond well as the Commission works on postsecondary education and workforce development issues facing the region.”

A lifelong North Dakotan, Sanford grew up in Watford City and now lives in Bismarck with his wife, Sandi, and their three children. Sanford graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of North Dakota in 1994 and is a certified public accountant. Early in his career, he worked at Eide Bailly LLP as an auditor and consultant before becoming chief financial officer of Transwest Trucks in Denver, Colorado. In 2004, he returned to Watford City to operate his family’s car dealership.

Sanford was elected to the Watford City Council in 2006 and became mayor in 2010, leading the community through rapid growth during the Bakken oil boom. In 2016, he was elected lieutenant governor alongside Gov. Doug Burgum and was re-elected in 2020. During his tenure, he chaired the State Investment Board, State Water Commission, North Dakota Trade Office, Clean Sustainable Energy Authority, and other state boards.

After resigning in 2023, he founded Sanford Consulting LLC, helping organizations develop workforce and energy strategies. Earlier this year, Sanford was named interim president of Bismarck State College and, in April, became interim chancellor of the North Dakota University System.

“It is an honor to represent North Dakota on the WICHE Commission,” Sanford said. “I look forward to working with partners across the West to make higher education more accessible and better aligned with workforce needs, so more students and communities in the region have opportunities to thrive.”