The University of Nebraska Board of Regents today elected Howard Hawks as chairman for 2014. Hawks, of Omaha, represents District 2 and was elected to the Board in 2002. He served as vice chairman in 2013. He succeeds 2013 chairman Regent Tim Clare of Lincoln.
Regent Bob Phares, who represents District 7, was elected vice chairman for 2014.
Born in Carleton, Neb., Hawks is founder and chairman of Tenaska, an independent energy company known for its expertise in power plant development, ownership and operations; natural gas and electric power marketing; natural gas exploration and production; and private equity fund management. He is also founder and chairman of the Hawks Foundation.
Previously, Hawks worked at InterNorth/Enron Corp., where he served as president of three subsidiary operating groups – Northern Natural Resources, Northern Liquid Fuels Group, and Northern Plains Natural Gas Co. He also has worked at General Motors. Hawks earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he endowed a chair in business ethics and leadership; and his MBA from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He first served as chairman of the Board of Regents in 2005.
Phares, born in Iowa and raised in North Platte, 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). Phares was appointed to the Board of Regents in 2006 and elected in 2010.
