Republican Assemblyman Pat Hickey has resigned his legislative seat and joined the Nevada Board of Education.
Gov. Brian Sandoval announced Tuesday that he appointed Hickey to replace Dave Cook, who died of an illness in October. Cook had represented northern Nevada on the board, which governs K-12 education.
“Pat Hickey has served as a dedicated public official who has always strived to improve Nevada’s education system. He was one of the earliest champions of charter schools and academic standards, and has always sought a meaningful balance between investing in and reforming our education system,” said Governor Brian Sandoval. “It has been an honor to work alongside Pat during his time in the legislature and I believe he will serve as an advocate for Nevada’s students and educators on the State Board of Education.”
Hickey has served four terms in the Nevada Legislature. He was a member of a task force that worked on revamping Nevada's antiquated funding formula, and chaired a legislative subcommittee on education funding last year when major changes were on the table.
"I am honored to have been selected by Governor Sandoval to serve out the term of State Board member Dave Cook. Dave was a college instructor of my wife’s, and I look forward to carrying on his devotion to education as the Northern Nevada representative on the State Board of Education," said Pat Hickey.
Sandoval also announced Allison Stephens will replace Kevin Melcher as the non-voting, higher education Board of Regents representative on the panel.
He's also appointing Teri Jamin to the board as a non-voting representative of the Nevada Associated School Boards.
(The Associated Press also contributed to this report.)
