Theoretically, higher education professionals agree that public trusteeship matters, yet little attention is given to the influence trustees have on the performance of public higher education. This study examines the relationship between selection and appointment processes and state higher education performance. Findings show that top-performing states use appointment processes that use restrictions, requisite qualifications, and methods to scrutinize the appropriateness of potential candidates. There is no evidence of clear qualifications or scrutiny among the bottom-performing states. (Contains 1 table.)