FHDA District Chancellor Linda Thor will make important decisions regarding interstate educational initiatives as the newest commissioner of the California chapter of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education.

Thor, a Democrat, was officially appointed as the most recent of three commissioners in charge of the California chapter of the commission by California Gov. Jerry Brown, Monday, Jan. 27, according to a press release from the governor’s office website.

Her post begins immediately, pending senate confirmation and will last until October 2015.

Becky Bartindale, FHDA District Communications Coordinator said Thor will not step down as district chancellor and the commission post will not impact FHDA’s day to day administrative routine because, “WICHE only meets twice a year.”

Thor has been the chancellor of the FHDA Community College district since 2010. Prior to her position with FHDA she served as president of Rio Salado College in Arizona from 1990 to 2010.

The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education is a non-profit organization founded of operations to Boulder, Colo. in 1955.

The commission consists of 15 western states, U.S Pacific territories and freely associated states.

According to the commission’s website, “WICHE was created to facilitate resource sharing among the higher education systems of the west.”

The commission’s newest program, the Internet Course Exchange, is a group of systems that enable the sharing of online classes between two and four year institutions within the commission’s area of operations.

Through the Western Undergraduate Exchange program, California students have been able to enroll in out of state undergraduate programs at a reduced rate.

California has been a member of the commission since 1955 and has benefitted from the organization’s numerous programs.in 1953 in Eugene, Ore., before moving its current base