Wednesday, June 15, 2005 | 9:29 a.m.
University regent Doug Seastrand's spot on the Board of Regents will be filled by Las Vegas lawyer Michael Wixom, Gov. Kenny Guinn announced Tuesday.
Guinn cited Wixom's standing in the law community as well as his understanding and vision for higher education in appointing him to the 13-member board. Seastrand resigned in May, only a few months after he was reelected to a second six-year term. He took a position doing homeland security work for the UNLV Research Foundation.
"Michael has a deep and underlying passion for education, and for the young people who are going to college in record numbers," the governor said in a statement.
Wixom, 49, is best known in Las Vegas for his recent battle against the Hard Rock's advertisements as a member part of the Main Street Billboard Committee. Wixom's group lobbied the Hard Rock and the Nevada Gaming Commission to get rid of the hotel and casino's racy ads, which Wixom said focused too much on just one dimension of Las Vegas.
A Republican, Wixom said Las Vegas, and the state's higher education system, should be presented in a multi-dimensional way.
"I've watched the city grow and develop and we really can't accomplish what we want as a city until we have a world class education system," Wixom said.
Wixom said he is most interested in interacting with the faculty staff and students within the university system and helping them address growth issues. He also said he'd like to help improve the interface between the universities and community colleges and the outreach to areas like his district on the east side of Las Vegas.
Wixom specializes in banking and real estate law as a partner at Smith, Larsen and Wixom, and has lived in Las Vegas since 1986.
Originally from Idaho, Wixom attended law school at the University of Utah.
Regent Thalia Dondero, who sat in on the interviews earlier in May with Wixom and the other candidates, said Wixom was a good choice for the district. Some of the other candidates were not qualified for the position because they did not live within the boundaries of District 6.
Wixom, Dondero said, has some of the same qualities as Seastrand.
"I think he seemed to be very level headed and had very quiet firm approach to things," Dondero said.
Seastrand said Wixom "could be very good for the board," and that Wixom had been one of a handful of names Seastrand forward to the governor.
"I'm excited to have him represent me as I'm his constituent now," Seastrand said.
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