CARNAHAN STAFF REVIEWS POSSIBLE CANDIDATES FOR REGENT POSTS

JEFFERSON CITY - Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan's staff is reviewing possible candidates for two vacant positions on the Southeast Missouri State University board of regents.

Two weeks ago, Carnahan filled three positions on the University of Missouri board of curators, and last week filled two spots on the Southwest Missouri State University board of regents.

The six-year terms of Southeast regents Carl Ben Bidewell of Poplar Bluff and Daniel Williams Jr. of St. Louis expired Jan. 1. They will continue to serve until replaced or re-appointed.

The six-member board is equally divided between Democrats and Republicans, and both Williams and Bidewell are Democrats. They were appointed by former Gov. John Ashcroft in 1987.

Ashcroft had a policy of not re-appointing members who had served full terms to new terms on the same board or commission. Carnahan has said he will not follow that policy. However, the three curators and two Southwest regents he has already named were all new.

Carnahan's Deputy Chief of Staff Roy Temple explained that with the new administration coming in there are a wide variety of positions that need to be filled. He noted that Carnahan will fill regent posts as quickly as possible.

"It will be happening pretty soon, but I do not think appointments are imminent," said Temple. "We are looking at several candidates and possibilities."

Temple said there have been several people who have expressed an interest in becoming a board member at Southeast, but he was unsure how many applicants there were.

"Right now we are getting input from people we know down there," said Temple.

Other Southeast regents are: Donald R. Harrison and Elizabeth Ann Dombrowski, both Republicans from Cape Girardeau whose terms expire Jan. 1, 1995; and Mark Pelts of Kennett, a Republican, and Lynn Dempster of Sikeston, a Democrat, whose terms will expire on Jan. 1, 1997.