Kurt Davis said one of his goals as an Arizona regent would be to give back to the educational system what he got out of it.

"I know everyone says that," he said laughingly.

Davis and fellow designee Ronald Ulrich were nominated by Republican Gov. Fife Symington last July to replace outgoing regents Andrew Hurwitz and Doug Wall.

The Arizona State Senate will vote to confirm the two Jan. 22. If the vote is successful, then they will begin their terms next month when the regents meet at Arizona State University West in Northwest Phoenix.

As a Northern Arizona University alumnus, Davis said his experience as an undergraduate living on the NAU campus had been important to him.

Because of that experience, he said he would like to try and maintain the environments of all three Arizona universities, especially with the predicted increase in enrollment within the state educational system.

In trying to accomplish that, Davis said, he places the needs of the students first. His key interest concerns examining what the university system will look like in the future.

"The world is changing so fast," he said.

With that change, Davis said, the community will always have traditional campuses. How Arizona students choose to access those campuses will be the big issue for tomorrow.

He said he hopes all of the institutions will change to meet the future needs of students. He feels the board is driven to meet the needs of today, but he said he would like to help the board see the future of Arizona's schools.

"I'm one of those people who try to plan 10 or 15 years in the future," he said.

Davis started out as a forestry major, but ended up with a degree in public administration. He now serves as vice president of public affairs and corporate communications for Rural/Metro Corporation. Davis said he has served under both Symington and Arizo na Attorney General Grant Woods.

"Now that I have been in the public and private sectors," he said,

"I will put up my education against anyone's."

Ulrich also said he has been in both the public and private sectors. As an entrepreneur who manages self-owned businesses, he has served on the Arizona State University Foundation board for the past 10 years. He also served under Symington for a short tim e as a volunteer.

Ulrich said he started out as a teacher before getting into business and has always maintained a fundamentalist view toward higher education.

"There's a real world out there and we've got to prepare our students for it," he said.

Ulrich said he is not all too unfamiliar with Arizona's universities. Prior to his nomination he said he has visited each of the campuses. In the coming month, he said, he and Davis will continue their site visits at all three campuses to meet with admini strators and deans.

He said he still calls ASU home. His two children have both graduated from there, his daughter Tracy with her master's degree and his son Christian with his bachelor's degree.

Ulrich remained quiet and observant during last week's regents meeting, opting instead to use the time as an educational process, he said.

Davis said his wife Janet feels his move to the board is a great opportunity. He said she, too, supports Arizona's educational system and is not unfamiliar with the state universities.

He said she attended the University of Arizona, graduated from NAU, and received her teaching certificate from ASU.

They have one daughter, Brittani, 7.

Both nominees reside in Phoenix. Davis will replace Wall and represent the Flagstaff and Northern Arizona area while on the board.

Ulrich will replace Hurwitz, and his area of responsibility will remain in and around ASU.