Coordination and centralization were the words of the day at the latest Board of Regents meeting.

In an effort to restructure the board’s staff to provide more effective and focused government relations and public affairs efforts, the board appointed Gary Steinke, currently a special assistant to ISU President Gregory Geoffroy and director of government relations to the university, to director of public affairs to the Board of Regents staff Tuesday in a telephonic meeting.

He begins the new position Aug. 30.

Steinke’s new responsibilities include coordinating related activities of the board and making policy recommendations to the regents regarding public affairs and state government relations.

He will also serve as the staff’s deputy executive director, a post currently held by Robert Barak, the Board’s director of academic affairs. Barak plans to retire.

Steinke worked as Iowa State’s legislative liaison for three years before he became the special assistant to the president and director of governmental relations. He has also served as assistant to former Gov. Terry Branstad, associate director of state relations for the American Petroleum Council and a member of the Republican caucus staff at the Iowa House of Representatives.

“This is a significant change. It’s a more focused and coordinated effort in public affairs,” said John Forsyth, Board of Regent’s president. “[Steinke’s] experience and knowledge would enable the board to focus and enhance its efforts in government relations and public affairs.”

Steinke’s soon-to-be vacant position will not be filled at the university, following a decision by Geoffroy and the regents. This is because he will perform the same duties and coordination he provided at Iowa State for all the universities.

“Gary has done a terrific job for Iowa State and he will be deeply missed,” Geoffroy said. “I think this new position will bring increased coordination of government relations and public affairs efforts to help all the regent universities. He is precisely the right person to lead this new effort and coordination.”

The universities will still have state legislative liaisons working on government relations with the Iowa Legislature. However, legislative efforts will be now be routed through Steinke’s office, as all liaisons will report to him.

Andy Baumert, associate director of government relations for Iowa State, will continue to work at Iowa State and will work with Steinke as a liaison.

“It’s not so much that Iowa State is losing a person, as the regent university enterprise is gaining a person,” Baumert said.

Steinke said it was a difficult decision to make.

“There is no other reason I am leaving the university other than I feel I can be more effective. I have never in my life been associated with a finer group of administrators, faculty, staff and researchers,” he said. “But it was just an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”

He said being able to work on the board staff is an honor, giving him the chance to lead the effort of securing more money and a higher priority for higher education funding.

“It’s time to coordinate our efforts at the universities and send Iowans and the Iowa Legislature a focused, simple message that higher education is an integral part of the state economic development,” Steinke said. “It’s time for the Legislature to make us a priority in their budget, and we need to give them the reasons to do that. Maybe we haven’t done that as effectively as we should.”