Press Release
Lincoln attorney pondering regents run
A Lincoln attorney says he’s seriously contemplating a run for the District 1 seat on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents.
BY MELISSA LEE / Lincoln Journal Star
Tuesday, Aug 21, 2007 - 12:09:16 am CDT
Tim Clare, of Rembolt Ludtke law firm, said he’s “almost certain” he’ll seek the seat, to be up for grabs next year, but is waiting for incumbent Charles Wilson of Lincoln to reveal his plans before making a final decision.
That will happen next month, said Wilson, a retired cardiologist first elected to the board in 1990.
“It would be an honor to serve the University of Nebraska as a member of the Board of Regents with a new voice focused on the future,” Clare said in a statement.
Clare’s campaign already has filed paperwork with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission indicating it’s begun to raise funds for his election. He also has filed a statement estimating he’ll spend $50,000 for next May’s primary election.
But he said his decision won’t be final until he hears from Wilson, who he said is a family friend and “a great regent.”
If he does run, Clare, 44, said his priorities will include recruiting top students, keeping tuition affordable and fostering partnerships between NU and the private sector to strengthen the state’s economy and help keep graduates in state.
“We’ve got to figure out a way to convey the message to high school graduates that the University of Nebraska is a pretty darned good place to get an education,” he said. “You can go to school here and be competitive.”
Clare himself is a product of NU, having earned a bachelor’s degree from UNL in 1985. He later earned master’s and law degrees from Creighton University in Omaha.
His wife, Amy, parents and three brothers also are NU graduates, and his oldest son will be a freshman at UNL this fall.
While at UNL, Clare was active in student government, and he’s maintained his ties, serving as an adjunct faculty member in the College of Business Administration from 1999 to 2001.
He also is involved with Heartland Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Lincoln Children’s Museum.
In coming years, Clare said, NU must strengthen ties with the business community to create more jobs and keep bright minds in the state. It also must hold to its land-grant mission by maintaining affordability, he said.
“Our purpose is to serve the people,” he said. “We need to ask, ‘Are we taking care of fellow Nebraskans and making education affordable?’... (Education) is an investment that’s worthwhile.”
Wilson, 69, is the chairman, having also led the board in 1994 and 2001.
His last victory, in 2002, was a close one: He squeaked by challenger Tony Ojeda by just 344 votes.
NU regents serve six-year terms. District 1 covers most of Lancaster County.
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