Byline: Tim Spofford Staff writer
At a recent reception in Albany, three members of the state Board of Regents surrounded state Sen. James H. Donovan, pumped his hand and offered him a drink - all before he got in the door.
Donovan, a Republican, chairs the Senate Education Committee.
One Regent who glided off to get Donovan a drink that night was Emlyn I. Griffith, the short, gravelly voiced Rome attorney whose term expires in 1989.
The other two who stayed with Donovan were facing reappointment this year. They were builder Willard A. Genrich and physician Salvatore J. Sclafani, who recently withdrew his candidacy.
The scene underscores an important fact about the state Board of Regents: It is the creature of the state Legislature, which appoints all 16 members. If Regents want to keep their prestigious posts, they have to meet the approval of state lawmakers.
That is why the Regents have become increasingly concerned about recent attacks from minority lawmakers who say the board has ignored inner-city schools. Several members of the Black and Puerto Rican Legislative Caucus are sponsoring minority candidates for the five Regents seats to be filled Tuesday.
The Regents also are feeling the heat from Gov. Mario M. Cuomo. Although he does not appoint the Regents, Cuomo has used his office to try to influence them and scold them when he disagrees with their actions.
In recent months, for example, Cuomo has charged the Regents were not "accountable" for their policies and have failed to improve New York City schools.
"They make all the rules - we just give them a budget," Cuomo complained recently. "But they actually manage the school system. Well, it's all …
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