Allen Burgad, interim president of Valley City State University. (Photo courtesy of the North Dakota University System)
By: Jeff Beach
BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) – The North Dakota State Board of Higher Education on Thursday named an interim president at Valley City State University but delayed naming an interim leader at North Dakota State University.
The University System will send out a request for letters of interest from potential interim candidates.
Board Chair Kevin Black said an interim president could be named in January.
North Dakota State University President David Cook last month was named president of Iowa State University.
A presidential search committee will meet Friday in Fargo. The committee is co-chaired by Black and Jace Beehler, chief of staff for the NDSU president.
Black said the meeting will include discussion of a search firm and a timeline.
Allen Burgad will lead Valley City State University, a four-year college with an emphasis on training teachers. Burgad is the dean of the Department of Education.
Burgad is a 1989 graduate of Valley City State. He has previously served as an administrator in K-12 schools systems, including West Fargo, Stanley, Northern Cass and Napoleon.
President Alan LaFave is leaving Valley City to take over the Northern State presidency in January.
“Dr. Burgad brings both deep institutional knowledge and broad experience in education, which ensures a seamless transition in leadership,” Black said in a news release.
Black said LaFave’s tenure was “marked by steady growth and advancements in teaching and technology.”
The University System said it is expected Burgad will serve as interim president until a new president is hired, likely in late spring 2026.
Board member D.J. Campbell and Erica Buchholz, vice president for business affairs at Valley City State, are chairing the search committee.
The board also is searching for a president at Bismarck State College. A job description is expected to be posted next week.
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