Governor Pete Ricketts has appointed Dr. Deborah Frison, vice-chairwoman of Nebraska’s Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education, as one of five Nebraska commissioners on the Midwestern Higher Education Commission (MHEC). Dr. Frison succeeds Mrs. Carol Zink, who recently concluded nearly ten years on the Coordinating Commission and served as a Nebraska commissioner on MHEC. MHEC is a an interstate compact of 12 Midwestern states founded in 1991 to improve access to high-quality postsecondary education programs in the region through collaborative efforts and collective expertise. Among MHEC’s programs are the Midwest Student Exchange Program, group purchasing contracts for technology equipment and services, a master property program that insures over 170 college and university campuses with total insured values of over $94.8 billion, the Multi-State Collaborative on Military Credit, and the Midwestern State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement. MHEC also provides research services to its member states, expert testimony on education and workforce development issues, and an annual policy forum for its commissioners and other regional state leaders.
Dr. Frison is Deputy Commissioner of School Improvement for the Nebraska Department of Education. Prior to joining NDE, she was principal at Omaha Burke High School for seven years. Frison also served as principal at Morton Middle School and King Science and Technology Magnet School, both in Omaha. She began her career in education as a music teacher. Frison earned her bachelor’s degree from Nebraska Wesleyan University, master’s degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and doctorate in Educational Administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She was appointed to the Coordinating Commission in 2012.