Six finalists are in the running to take over as president of Snow College, including state Rep. Scott L. Wyatt.

Wyatt, R-Logan, is among those being considered by the state Board of Regents to head up the two-year college, which has campuses in Ephraim and Richfield. Former President Michael T. Benson left the college in January to become president of Southern Utah University. Richard W. Wheeler has been serving as interim president in his stead.

A committee of 22 members, including regents, Snow College trustees, faculty, staff, students and community members, selected the finalists from a pool of 24 applicants representing 10 different states. The regents hope to make a decision by the week's end, after interviewing the final six candidates, five of whom are from Utah.

The finalists are:

Gary L. Carlston, associate professor in the department of elementary education at Utah State University, has held numerous positions in public and higher education, including deputy superintendent for the Utah Office of Education from 1999 to 2002. Carlston, a Snow alumnus, has been a member and chairman of the Snow College Institutional Council and Board of Trustees. He earned degrees in history and secondary education from USU and education administration from Brigham Young University.

Val L. Peterson is vice president of administration and legislative affairs for Utah Valley State College and a Utah National Guard brigade commander. He has held various faculty and leadership positions at UVSC since 1987 and has worked in the private sector for a public relations firm. Peterson graduated from BYU with degrees in mass communication, public relations and educational leadership.

Paul B. Prestwich, vice president of academic affairs at Sussex County Community College in Newton, N.J., has served in various administrative capacities, including dean of several departments at colleges in Colorado and New Jersey. Prestwich graduated with a bachelor's in kinesiology form the University of Northern Colorado, a master's from University of Colorado at Boulder and a doctorate from University of Pennsylvania in higher education administration.

Stephen D. Taylor is owner of Big Cat Ventures Inc., a private investor and board member of Traditional Building Skills Institute at Snow and Target Bank Inc. in Salt Lake City. Taylor has worked as the director of Conseco Bank and is a former financial services executive, serving companies across the country and in Asia. He earned an MBA from Harvard Business School, attended the American University of Cairo (Egypt) and graduated with a bachelor's degree from BYU.