Gov. Steve Beshear appointed a new Board of Regents member on Monday.

Phillip Bale, a physician who lives in Glasgow, will take the place of Rob Wilkey, who resigned in December and whose term expires June 30, 2015.

President Gary Ransdell said Wilkey moved to Florida and has been unable to participate in board activities. Ransdell said he has known Bale for quite some time.

“He knows the university, he’s bright, he’s interested,” Ransdell said. “He’ll be a superb board member.”

Ransdell said Bale and his wife, Kristen, are active with the university.

“They support the university,” he said. “They’re donors to the university. They attend athletic events and other events.”

Kristen also formerly chaired the Board of Regents, according to Ransdell.

While Wilkey resigned in December, the governor couldn’t replace him right away.

“The governor had to wait until the panel, which makes recommendations to the governor for board vacancies, met because there were other vacancies on other boards as well and apparently, he just got the recommendation from that panel recently and made his selections last week,” Ransdell said.

Ransdell said he is very pleased with the governor’s decision to appoint Bale.

“He’s very familiar with WKU and, really, the work of our board,” he said.

For more on this story, check out Friday’s edition of the College Heights Herald.