60th Anniversary Promoting Iowa Community College’s Impact
We hope you feel like you’ve been seeing a lot of us... and a lot of yourselves. In recent years during the legislative session, CCforIowa has run a paid marketing campaign to share with legislators and the public the value of community colleges. We’ve featured student success, business-education partnerships, and with this being a very special year, we are now sharing about our 60th anniversary and the impact we’ve made. You’ll see all 15 institutions represented as we celebrate “Community Colleges Working For Iowa Since 1966!”
CCforIowa staff, Monique and Ryan, take a quick selfie in the Rotunda as they make the plan to have community college supporters at the Capitol during Leadership in Action Week!
Leadership In Action Week is One Month Away: March 2-6
We’re gearing up for the many great opportunities to gain awareness for Iowa community colleges with Leadership In Action Week! Each institution will have students, faculty, administrators, and trustees joining us for the following events:
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Student Legislative Seminar: Monday, March 2, 11:30 am - 4:00 pm
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Phi Theta Kappa Awards: Monday, March 2, 5:00-8:00 pm
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Community College Day on the Hill: Tuesday, March 3, 7:30 am - 12:00 pm
For those who are back on campus, we need you too! All supporters are encouraged to share why community colleges matter. We are marking 60 years of impact and want to tell as many of our stories as possible as we celebrate this milestone and look toward the future! Please repost or tag CCforIowa on social media, send messages to your legislators, and speak with your network on your perspective and the successes you’ve seen created by the Iowa Community College System.
Community College Leadership Development Consortium’s LINC and ICCLI Programs Completed Des Moines Session
Last week marked an important time in the year-round professional development programs led by Community College Leadership Development Consortium. Community college administrators from across the state gathered for the Des Moines session of Leadership Institute for a New Century (LINC) – aimed for early career professionals – and Iowa Community College Leadership Institute (ICCLI) – created for rising to senior-level professionals. Together, they got to explore community colleges’ governmental relations.
CCforIowa got to be on both sides of the programming! Executive Director Emily Shields and Director of Government Relations Ryan Roberts led a session about community college advocacy. Lobbyists Matt Eide and Kate Walton spoke on the legislative outlook of community colleges. And our Director of Strategic Initiatives Monique Ellefson is in this year's ICCLI class!
We're grateful for our partnership with Iowa State University, Iowa Department of Education, and Iowa Association of Community College Presidents, united in our commitment to bolstering community college leadership. And a big thank you to Zoë M. Thornton, PhD for leading these efforts!
Photo 1: Community Colleges for Iowa Executive Director Emily Shields and Iowa Central Community College President Jesse Ulrich presenting to the House Committee on Higher Education to discuss their Interim report on the feasibility of offering bachelor's degrees in January. Photo 2: Community Colleges for Iowa Executive Director Emily Shields and Lobbyist Matt Eide in the statehouse speaking to legislators, pictured here with Rep. Megan Jones (R-Sioux Rapids).
Community Colleges at the Capitol
Iowa community colleges have a constant presence at the Iowa Capitol Building. Our team consists of CCforIowa staff, namely Executive Director Emily Shields and Director of Governmental Relations Ryan Robers. CCforIowa utilizes contract lobbyists as a part of our advocacy strategy, which is being fulfilled by consultants Matt Eide and Kate Walton. Each institution has grassroots legislative liaisons, and some institutions also utilize their own contract lobbyists. These are the folks you can see working hard on behalf of community colleges to ensure our priorities and issues receive careful consideration, and legislators are informed on the impact they have. If you have an interest in visiting beyond Leadership In Action Week events, email CCforIowa staff to help arrange your visit and set up meetings.