The Board of Regents is continuing its turmoil with the announcement of another possible resignation of a regent Wednesday, and two more regents approaching the end of their terms.

Gov. Tom Vilsack told an Associated Press reporter that Sioux City Regent Sue Erickson Nieland plans to resign when she returns from vacation.

According to the governor’s office, a resignation letter is expected this week. The governor would not comment until the official notice of resignation is received.

Gary Steinke, deputy executive and public affairs director for the Board of Regents, said he has not heard from Nieland regarding her resignation. Steinke said he first heard rumors about her resignation about two weeks ago.

The Board of Regents met for the first time Wednesday since its shakeup last week with the dual resignations of Des Moines Regent John Forsyth and La Porte City Regent David Neil. Nieland did not attend the meeting.

Both Forsyth and Neil resigned based on a Dec. 29 decision by the regents to allow the University of Iowa to cancel its contract with Wellmark Inc.

Both served on the board of directors for Wellmark before the vote, and resigned because of conflicts of interest.

The departures from the board raised many eyebrows among university officials and state legislators since the nine-member board has lost three members and two more regent terms expire later this year.

Board members are appointed by the governor to staggered six-year terms and are subject to Senate confirmation.

Terms for both Des Moines Regents, Rose Vasquez and Owen Newlin, expire in April. Newlin was appointed to the board in 1993 and was re-appointed by Vilsack in 1999.

Vasquez was appointed by Vilsack in September 2004 to fill the term vacated by former Des Moines Regent Deb Turner. Turner was appointed by Vilsack in 1999 and was the last regent to resign from the board.

“You have potentially five new people and we only know of two [appointments],” said Sen. Stewart Iverson, R-Dows, Senate Republican floor leader.

“We want to know who the governor is thinking about for the possible other three appointments. It does matter.”

State Republicans said they are concerned with the condition of the board after the recent departures and called for a full disclosure of the reasoning behind the resignations.

House Speaker Christopher Rants, R-Sioux City, said last week he will not make a commitment to higher education funding until he receives more answers behind the board shakeup.

Neil and some legislators speculated University of Iowa officials pressured Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller to place further restrictions on Forsyth’s role in the decision-making process concerning the Wellmark contract. Both Miller and University of Iowa spokesman Steve Parrott denied such allegations.

Despite Republicans’ concerns, Senate Democrats are confident the board’s plan for legislation related to regent institutions will not be halted.

“I think it would be fair to say that the resignations caused some eyebrows to be lifted,” said Senate Democratic leader Michael Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs. “But I think the board and the university can get through this.”

Vilsack appointed Michael Gartner, of Des Moines, co-owner of the Iowa Cubs, and Teresa Wahlert, of Waukee, Mid-America Group president and chief operating officer, to replace Neil and Forsyth.

As a result, confusion followed among the regents over whether a new regent can vote during meetings. According to the Board of Regents Policy Manual, a new regent has no voting rights until he or she is confirmed by the Iowa Senate.

A spokesman from Miller’s office said Tuesday, however, that Gartner and Wahlert can vote even if they have not been confirmed to the board, according to The Des Moines Register. Gartner, who was attending the Board of Regents Committee meetings in Iowa City on Wednesday, was unavailable for comment.

There are also some concerns among legislators about a lawsuit Gartner filed in conjunction with Partnership Press and Collegiate Publishing in October 1996 against Iowa State, Vice President for Business and Finance Warren Madden and the Board of Regents. The lawsuit stated Iowa State violated Gartner’s First Amendment rights as then-editor of The (Ames) Tribune because the university refused to allow The Tribune to distribute anywhere on campus.

Gartner also filed a lawsuit against the Iowa State Daily for unfair competition, as the Daily is able to distribute on campus.

The lawsuit has Republicans wondering about his support for Iowa State and the Board of Regents, as well as possible conflicts of interest — a seemingly reoccurring theme for the regents this year.

“It’s raised some questions,” Iverson said, adding that he foresees problems in the board continuity.

—Erin McCuskey contributed to this article