BISMARCK, N.D. (FEB. 2, 2021) – Gov. Doug Burgum today appointed Jeffry Volk of West Fargo to a four-year term on the state Board of Higher Education and reappointed Dr. Casey Ryan of Grand Forks to a second four-year term on the board.
Volk is president and CEO of Moore Holding Co., an engineering consultancy, and he previously served as president and CEO of its subsidiary, West Fargo-based Moore Engineering Inc., from 2005 to 2018. Volk worked for Moore Engineering for more than 40 years and led the employee-owned company through a period of expansion. As a water resources engineer, Volk played a key role in some of the region’s largest water projects, including the Sheyenne River Diversion, Maple River Dam and the planned Fargo-Moorhead Area Diversion Project.
Volk earned his civil engineering degree from North Dakota State University in 1977. He serves on several regional boards, including the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Fargo-Moorhead Economic Development Corp. He also served on the Task Force for Higher Education Governance in 2018.
“Jeff is an accomplished engineer, a forward-looking business leader and a strong supporter of higher education whose keen awareness and deep understanding of the challenges facing college campuses will serve our students well during this time of rapid change,” Burgum said. “Dr. Ryan is a thoughtful board member and passionate advocate for the university system whose medical expertise has been valuable during the ongoing pandemic. We look forward to working with Jeff and Dr. Ryan and are grateful for all of the highly qualified candidates who applied for these positions.”
Ryan has served on the Board of Higher Education since July 1, 2017, after being appointed by Burgum in February 2017. Ryan practices endocrinology and internal medicine at Altru Health System in Grand Forks and previously served as president of Altru from 1997 to 2014.
A Grand Forks native, Ryan graduated from Grand Forks Central High School in 1967 and from Colorado College in 1971 with a bachelor’s degree in biology. He received his undergraduate medical training at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver, graduating in 1975, and completed his internal medicine residency in 1978 at the Mayo Clinic graduate school in Rochester, Minn.
The appointments of Volk and Ryan are subject to confirmation by the state Senate during the current 2021 legislative session.
Volk will succeed current board member Kathleen Neset, whose term expires June 30. Neset has served two terms and was not eligible for reappointment under the North Dakota Constitution. Burgum expressed his deepest gratitude for Neset’s longtime service and leadership on the board.
The Board of Higher Education has eight voting members appointed by the governor, including one student member, and two non-voting members who represent the North Dakota University System’s faculty and staff. The board oversees the system’s 11 public colleges and universities.