Third vacancy opens when regent, 82, dies

Gov. Napolitano named a former U.S. senator and a former president of Del Webb Corp. to serve on the Arizona Board of Regents last month.

Dennis DeConcini and Anne Mariucci will become voting members of the governing board for the Arizona university system if confirmed by the Arizona Senate, said student regent Benjamin Graff.

Graff said DeConcini and Mariucci will take the place places of Regents Chris Herstam and Jack Jewett, whose appointments expire this month.

Anne Barton, a board of regents spokeswoman, said every two years the governor names two candidates for the eight-year term.

“When two exceptional leaders agree to serve the state in this capacity, it’s a great day for Arizona,” Gov. Napolitano said in a news release. “Our state university system is the engine that drives growth in the Arizona economy of the future. I’m excited to have Dennis and Anne involved in defining that vision.”

The governor also needs to fill a third unexpected vacancy left by 82-year-old Lorraine Frank, a regent who died Dec. 22 from an illness, Barton said.

When choosing an appointment to the board of regents, Napolitano takes into account the candidates’ experience, the amount of time they’ve been in Arizona and their interest in the university system, said Pati Urias, a spokeswoman for the governor’s office.

Graff said Mariucci has proven to be a leader in the business community in Arizona and will be able to provide the board with her knowledge of Arizona’s economy.

DeConcini has been a leader in the political community and will be able to benefit the board through his political experiences and connections, Graff said.

“Both Anne Mariucci and Dennis DeConcini are graduates of the University of Arizona and that itself makes them familiar with higher education in Arizona,” said Graff, a third-year law student.

DeConcini, a Tucson native, served as Pima County Attorney prior to serving in the U.S. Senate from 1977 to 1995, according to the governor’s news release.

DeConcini received his bachelor’s degree from the UA in 1959 and his law degree from the UA in 1963.

He is a founding partner of the law firm DeConcini, McDonald, Yetwin & Lacy and partner of the lobbying firm Parry, Romani, DeConcini & Symms Associates.

Mariucci graduated from the UA in 1978 with an accounting and finance degree. She played on the UA women’s golf and basketball teams and is co-owner of the WNBA Phoenix Mercury, according to the press release.

Mariucci formerly served as president of Dell Webb Corp and is currently a private equity investor. She is also the director of the Arizona State Retirement System, Scottsdale Healthcare, the ASU Foundation, the Nature Conservancy and Fresh Start Women’s Foundation.