Jeffrey Downs (Nevada)

Jeffrey Downs

Nonpartisan

Nevada Board of Regents District 11

Tenure

2023 - Present

Term ends

2029

Years in position

2

Predecessor

Jason Geddes

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 8, 2022

Education

Bachelor's

Cal State San Bernandino, 1994

Graduate

Cal State Fullerton, 1998

Personal

Birthplace

Bakersfield, Calif.

Religion

Baptist Christian

Profession

Professor

Contact

Official website

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

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Jeffrey Downs is a member of the Nevada Board of Regents, representing District 11. He assumed office on January 13, 2023. His current term ends on January 12, 2029.

Downs ran for election to the Nevada Board of Regents to represent District 11. He won in the general election on November 8, 2022.

Downs completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Jeffrey Downs was born in Bakersfield, California, and lives in Reno, Nevada. Downs earned a bachelor's degree from California State University, San Bernandino, in 1994 and a graduate degree from California State University, Fullerton, in 1998. His career experience includes working as a professor and outdoor education volunteer. Downs has been affiliated with the Nevada Faculty Alliance.

Elections

2022

See also: Nevada State Board of Regents election, 2022

General election

General election for Nevada Board of Regents District 11

Jeffrey Downs defeated Steve Laden in the general election for Nevada Board of Regents District 11 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jeffrey Downs (Nonpartisan)	54.1	34,560
		Steve Laden (Nonpartisan)	45.9	29,350

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 63,910
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Nevada Board of Regents District 11

Jeffrey Downs and Steve Laden defeated John Gwaltney in the primary for Nevada Board of Regents District 11 on June 14, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jeffrey Downs (Nonpartisan)	40.9	14,145
✔		Steve Laden (Nonpartisan)	34.7	11,989
	Submit photo	John Gwaltney (Nonpartisan)	24.4	8,422

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 34,556
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Emily Ellison (Nonpartisan)

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Jeffrey Downs completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Downs' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I have been working in higher education for 24 years and in the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) for 21 years. In my time with NSHE, I have served as an instructor, a community college professor, and an interim vice president. I became tenured in 2008 and have had the opportunity to serve as a faculty senate chair twice. As a faculty senate chair, I represented faculty interests to the board of regents including working with board members and the chancellor to bring collective bargaining to the faculty at Western Nevada College (WNC). Collective bargaining has helped faculty by giving input into the workload policies for faculty at WNC. I am currently on the faculty team negotiating the new collective bargaining contract. I earned my Bachelor's in Math in 1994, and my Master's in Math in 1998. I am currently working on my Ph.D. in Education with a focus on Instructional Design and Technology. I am married to my wonderful wife and I have three great kids.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Make higher education available to more communities through expanding dual enrollment and workforce development.
• Restore the relationship between NSHE and the legislature to improve the legislative support for NSHE and improve conditions for students and faculty.
• Conduct an effective chancellor search for a person who can work with the legislature, Nevada businesses, and K-12 partners to move Nevada forward.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I would like to see NSHE focus on growing its mission to serve the people of Nevada through educational opportunities. Too often the focus of the board has been on the two universities and especially the sports teams. NSHE is supposed to serve Nevada by offering programs to help people to include workforce development. NSHE, through the colleges, has been expanding dual enrollment connections for high school students, but this, too, can be expanded.

I would also like to work on updating the NSHE funding formula to help smaller institutions serve rural communities.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

Through my experience working within NSHE in various roles and with the regents, I have a unique perspective on what it will take. I will be able to begin this position without a steep learning curve and will begin my role as a regent ready for the first board meeting.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The movie Dave was quite inspirational to me. In this movie they did not depict Dave as being from a political party, but as a person who worked to get things done.

Also, Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand is a very meaningful book to me. While not everything is applicable, the manner in which Rand described the relationship between people and the government is very enlightening, especially as the relationship is redefined in the end.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

An elected representative needs to listen to people. Too often elected people believe they know best and that they do not need to listen to their supporters. It is important to collect input when making decisions about policies that will impact other people.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I care about people and want the best for them. I believe in serving others therefore I would encourage policy that would benefit others.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Develop sound policies and make responsible decisions.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I hope to leave the policy that I put others' interests before my own.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I do not recall my age, but the attempted assassination of Ronald Regan.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first professional job was as a high school math instructor. I worked for a year as an emergency hire while I completed my teaching credential.

What responsibilities of this office do you personally consider the most important?

Making decisions that will impact the academic and professional future of Nevada residents is a weighty responsibility. This role should not be taken lightly and anyone serving in this role needs to consider these concerns, not just their personal interests. This role is not a stepping stone to further office, but a place where decisions need to be carefully considered.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

The most common question I get from people is, "What is a regent?" So, the biggest little-known detail about the position is what it is and what it does. People should understand that they have a voice in how higher education in Nevada is developed and delivered. This is their opportunity to make their voices known.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

I do not believe previous government experience is a must, but having previous educational experience is a huge benefit. This experience goes beyond having gone to college or serving as a club officer. It is important to know what Academic Freedom means. Regents should understand collective bargaining. Regents should be familiar with how dual enrollment can benefit schools and enrich students. As one of the few regents with higher education experience, it will be my role to enlighten the other regents to these principles and concepts.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

A thorough understanding of the workings of NSHE, from multiple perspectives.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Nevada Board of Regents District 11

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Nevada Board of Regents District 11

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Jason Geddes	Nevada Board of Regents District 11 2023-Present	Succeeded by -