ABOR welcomes new regents Dr. Michele Halyard and Steve Peru to the board

Today, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs announced that Dr. Michele Halyard and Steve Peru have been appointed to the Arizona Board of Regents.

“On behalf of the Arizona Board of Regents, we appreciate Gov. Hobbs’ selection of two highly respected leaders in Dr. Halyard and Mr. Peru,” said ABOR Chair Doug Goodyear. “Their complementary backgrounds will add important perspective to the board’s ongoing work for Arizona’s students and public universities.” 

Halyard is a nationally recognized radiation oncologist, academic leader and nonprofit founder with more than 30 years of experience in health care practice, medical education, research and strategy. She served on the Mayo Clinic staff from 1989 until her retirement in June 2023 and holds the academic rank of professor of radiation oncology.

Halyard served as the Suzanne Hanson Poole vice dean of the three-campus Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine and was the inaugural dean of the school’s Arizona campus. In those roles, she led the successful launch of the Arizona campus, oversaw the operational integration of the medical school’s campuses in Arizona, Minnesota and Florida, and led the first multi-site accreditation of the medical school by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education. She also chaired the department of radiation oncology at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, established Mayo’s Center for Women’s Health and served on Mayo Clinic’s Board of Governors and Board of Trustees.

In addition to her academic and clinical leadership, she serves on the Arizona Community Foundation Board of Directors and previously served on the Flinn Foundation Arizona Bioscience Roadmap Steering Committee and the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine Advisory Board.

Halyard earned her bachelor’s degree and medical degree from Howard University and completed her residency in radiation oncology, followed by a fellowship at the Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education.

Steve Peru brings more than three decades of experience in Arizona local government, education and nonprofit leadership. He served Coconino County in progressively senior roles, including community resources coordinator, elections director, deputy county manager and county manager. 

As county manager, he served as the chief administrative officer for Coconino County, supporting a workforce of more than 1,200 professional, technical and administrative staff while leading county operations through major public health, emergency response and organizational challenges. Most recently, he served as special assistant to the county manager for strategic projects and partnerships.

In addition to his public sector service, Peru has held leadership roles in the nonprofit and education sectors, including serving as president and chief executive officer of the United Way of Northern Arizona, chief external affairs officer for Coconino Community College and executive director of the Coconino Community College Foundation. Peru currently serves on several nonprofit and civic boards, including the Northern Arizona Leadership Alliance, the Arizona Early Childhood Development and Health Board and the Museum of Northern Arizona. 

A native of Morenci, Arizona, Peru moved to Flagstaff to attend Northern Arizona University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in applied sociology with an emphasis in social work and later a master’s degree in public administration. He has also completed the Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.