Board of Regents elects Phares as chair

The University of Nebraska Board of Regents today elected Bob Phares as chairman for 2015. Phares, of North Platte, represents District 7 and was appointed to the Board of Regents in 2006 and elected in 2010. He served as vice chairman in 2014. He succeeds 2014 Chairman Regent Howard Hawks of Omaha.

Regent Kent Schroeder of Kearney, who represents District 6, was elected vice chairman of the Board for 2015.

Born in Iowa and raised in North Platte, Phares was elected mayor of North Platte at age 28 and served two terms in that role. Currently he is president and owner of Phares Financial Services Inc., a financial planning and services firm in North Platte. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Kearney State College (now the University of Nebraska at Kearney), where he graduated with honors, and later received the UNK Distinguished Service and Outstanding Alumni Award. He is a former board president of the Kearney State College Foundation and past member of the Mid-Plains Community College Foundation. Phares also is a former board chairman of the North Platte Chamber of Commerce and past president of the North Platte Rotary Club. Phares first served as chairman of the Board in 2010 and as vice chairman in 2009.

Schroeder, born in Genoa, is an attorney. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University and J.D. from the University of Nebraska. He has served on the boards of the Good Samaritan Health Systems, the Kearney Chamber of Commerce and Central Community College, and is a past member of the Kearney City Council and Kearney School Board.