Gov. Malloy's Chief of Staff Picked to Lead Board of Regents

The outgoing chief of staff for Governor Dannel Malloy will soon lead the state's Board of Regents for Higher Education. Mark Ojakian will officially start as interim president on September 28, taking over for Gregory Gray, who announced his resignation earlier this month.

Gray had a rocky tenure, losing the confidence of faculty members across the Regents system. He also lost support from legislators after approving to close a community college campus in Meriden earlier this year. Ojakian announced his intention to leave the governor's office by the end of the year.

Ojakian told the board his planned first steps at a meeting, Friday.

"I want to hear what the issues are that presidents, faculty and students have and I want to work closely with members of the General Assembly to move, I think, that relationship forward," Ojakian said.

Rep. Roberta Willis, co-chairman of the legislature's Higher Education Committee, acknowledged that Ojakian's lack of an educational background may not sit well with some, but she believes he's a strong administrator.

Ojakian will be the fifth person to lead the Board since it was established just three years ago. 

This report includes information from The Associated Press.