Posted on July 20, 2026 at 1:00 PM by McKenzie Kielman
The full gallery of photos from the Trustee Conference can be found here. This gallery will be archived after 90 days, so be sure to download any photos you would like to save for the future. If after that time a photo is needed, be sure to contact our team at marketing@ccforiowa.org.
124 Iowans serve their communities in the role of trustee, sitting on the board and guiding their local community college. This role is an elected position that community members serve in a voluntary capacity, without compensation, for the betterment of their community. Community Colleges for Iowa was founded to support trustees in the governance of our 15 institutions within the model unique to Iowa. The Trustee Conference is an essential aspect of trustee education. This year, our host was Iowa Valley Community College in Marshalltown. 2026 marking the 60th anniversary of Community Colleges for Iowa brought an appreciative and celebratory tone to our time together as we discuss how far we’ve come and the ways we are meeting the needs of today’s students and employers.
Our 2026 highlights:
We started the festivities off with a friendly round of golf at Wandering Creek Golf Course, with three teams playing in the heat and humidity. After a two-way tie, everyone retired to The Tremont to cool down with a networking reception.
Team Hawkeye/Eastern Iowa Community College against Team Kirkwood/Iowa Valley Community College District played as hot as the weather, but they called it a tie in the end.
The thermometer said 90, but the humidity pushed the day even hotter. Just another beautiful July day in Iowa.
Our first official day started early with breakfast sponsored by Solutions Management Group.
Any time you enter a CCforIowa event, you’re sure to be greeted by our team. Annette and Ryan were busy greeting everyone as they arrived for the day, and making sure they all took a gift bag of local goodies and a golf ball with our 60th anniversary logo.
President Anne Howsare Boyens gives a warm welcome to the group, highlighting Marshalltown and the Iowa Valley Community College District, as well as speaking to the collective work of Iowa’s community colleges.
Our first official session centered the outlook held by the folks in this very room. Four of our trustees–– Bridgette Saffold with Hawkeye Community College, Joanna Hofer with Iowa Valley Community College District, Rich Gaumer with Indian Hills Community College, and Kevin Halterman with Des Moines Area Community College––took the stage to share their experiences and answer questions from their colleagues. Along with sharing their personal connections to community college, the panel spoke about the challenges, changes, and new chapters they have seen during their involvement with Iowa's community colleges.
What is the legacy of Trustees safeguarding their community colleges? Trustees answered with their personal experiences regarding the challenges faced by Iowa’s community colleges.
Trustees in the audience asked about challenges, wins, and experience with advocating for Iowa’s community colleges.
The video recording of this panel is available with the gallery of photos here!
Our long-time partner and year-round sponsor, F3 Law, stepped up next to talk about best governing practices. Peter Fagen, Lauren Rubio, and Nathan Levine gave insights into the recent changes to Iowa’s open meetings policies and shared advice on keeping all public meetings compliant with Iowa Code.
F3 Law shares their insight into how boards and Trustees can work together to keep Iowa’s community colleges open and transparent with the public they serve.
After lunch, we counted off in numbers 1-10 and formed groups to discuss case studies involving difficult decisions and unique challenges faced by community colleges, from ethical data practices to budgetary pressures. Trustees and college presidents worked together to form plans that aligned with leadership framework and timelines, including calling meetings and forming committees to address the scenarios in a transparent way.
Trustees were scrambled to collaborate with colleagues from other institutions to find answers to some of the complicated questions facing community colleges today.
The Iowa Dept. of Education presented an overview of the current educational landscape and the outcome-focused outlook surrounding education today. With rising tuition costs and stagnating wages, students are looking for an education that will help secure their financial future and benefit their careers for decades to come. Iowa’s community colleges stand at the intersection of practicality and results: students can see measurable success with certifications, transfer programs, and associate degrees, with a minimum amount of time spent outside the workforce.
Amy Gieske of the Iowa Department of Education showcased the importance of measurable outcomes in determining legislative support and public trust in educational institutions.
We got to stretch our legs in the afternoon with a tour of Marshalltown Community College’s campus! Many of the facilities are housed inside one building for a one stop spot for students across their programs: Hall of Care, e-sports lab, the student union, construction technology and healthcare labs, and much more.
Each stop on the tour showcased the excitement and dedication Iowa Valley Community College District has for giving its students quality, updated materials and machines so they can enter the workforce prepared to hit the ground running on day 1.
We ended the day with one of our favorite activities: awards! Every year, we are honored to recognize the hard work from our trustees and leadership who dedicate their time to the mission of Iowa’s community colleges. Our reception was sponsored by Speer Financial.
Ritchie Industries was recognized as an outstanding community partner to Iowa Valley Community College District with the Community Service Award. This award goes to a business or organization that has demonstrated commitment to supporting students, strengthening programs, and expanding access to opportunity.
Indian Hills President Dr. Matt Thompson was recognized with the Chief Executive Officer Award for his service as chair of the Community Colleges for Iowa Presidents Group.
Tricia Sutherland of Western Iowa Tech Community College was recognized for her year of service as chair of the Community Colleges for Iowa Board of Trustees, overseeing her peers with one representative from each of our state’s 15 institutions serving in a statewide capacity.
The Larry Ebbers Honorary Trustee Award is given to a member of the community who does not serve on a community college board directly, but who has had just as much significant impact through their service to community colleges. This year’s honoree, Mark Collett, was nominated by Hawkeye Community College for his dedication to quality, accessible education.
The John P. Kibbie Award recognizes an active Trustee who has significantly impacted their college and community in a positive way. This year’s honoree was Randy Pash, from Iowa Western Community College.
All awardees are listed on our website, along with details about the awards!
The end of a day turns into the start of another! Our final morning began with association business: our annual meeting. Then, it was time for the real party, an advocacy update. CCforIowa staff shared data and perspectives on the legislative session and the strategy going forward to maintain and increase support for Iowa’s community colleges. This was followed by a presentation from the president and CEO of the Association of Community College Trustees, Jee Hang Lee.
Jee Hang Lee shares information regarding federal funding, support, and national trends in the community college sector.
After welcoming the new CCforIowa chair for 2027 and thanking our gracious hosts, we left with a lot of information and new motivation for the coming academic year and legislative session. We’re diving right into 2026-27!