The Board of Regents for the Nevada System of Higher Education Thursday approved a salary for the first permanent leader of the state’s four community colleges.

The board nominated Nate Mackinnon to be vice chancellor of the community colleges with a salary of $175,000. The 2013 legislative session created a committee to study higher education governance and recommended the creation of the position.

Mackinnon’s contract will run July 1 to June 30, 2018. He had previously served as assistant commissioner and chief of staff for the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education.