Gov. Terry Branstad has appointed a physician and business executive to the Iowa Board of Regents, replacing a board member who abruptly resigned last week.

Branstad announced Friday that he will appoint 68-year-old Mike Richards, of West Des Moines, to the board that oversees Iowa's public universities.

Richards is the vice chairman and managing partner of Quatro Composites, a company that makes equipment for the aerospace and medical industry.

He spent nearly 20 years as a private practice physician and was head of Wild Rose Entertainment, which owns casinos in Clinton, Emmetsburg and Jefferson.