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CCforIowa Bulletin

Remembering Mark Crimmins, 1961-2026 

We mourn the unexpected passing of Mark Crimmins, a longtime trustee and president of the Iowa Central Board of Trustees. Our hearts go out to the college and Mark's loved ones. His loss will be felt deeply. 

Elected to the Board of Trustees in November 1994, Mark dedicated 31 years of service to Iowa Central, providing steadfast leadership, thoughtful guidance, and a deep commitment to the college’s mission. Throughout his decades of service, Mark helped guide Iowa Central through pivotal moments of growth and transformation, always keeping students, faculty and staff, and the communities we serve at the center of the college’s work. 

His leadership, dedication, and belief in the power of education to create better lives have left a lasting impact on Iowa Central and the many people whose lives have been touched by the college. His legacy will continue for generations to come. 

A Close Look at CCforIowa in 2025-26: our Annual Report is out now! 

What a year! This annual report recaps the advancements in every area of our work, from staffing to building functionality to programming and beyond. As we reflect, much of what we do is rooted in two areas: 1) advocating with voice, and 2) supporting community college leaders. 

Between the 2025 and 2026 legislative session, our number of advocates registered in our action center nearly doubled, with 1,143 signed up and providing representation from all our colleges. Not only were these individuals signed up, but they were engaging in our campaigns. Participation tripled from last year and had more than 1,000 messages sent during our two critical campaigns on property tax reform and the elimination of the 260E program. 

While we provided opportunities all year long, our Convention and Tradeshow has quickly become a favorite as our largest gathering of the year. This year marked the third year of the event, which brought together 400 attendees, 34 award recipients, 49 sponsors, and 50 presenters across 30 breakout sessions. In 2026, the Convention and Tradeshow is scheduled for December 1–3, with the theme “Lighting the Path: Staying Grounded, Sparking Opportunity.” 

Read Community Colleges for Iowa's 2025-26 annual report. 

Last Call on Speaker RFP: Community College Employees to Present Breakout Sessions at the Convention and Tradeshow 

Hey, you! Yes, YOU! You do great work. It’s taken years of experience, learning-trying-and-revising, and professional development to get where you are: being a leader in your field. Think of what you hope to hear when you go to a conference; the advice you wish you could’ve gotten at different stages of your career or project. Our Convention and Tradeshow breakout sessions and workshops are largely led by our own network of community college employees. Our Speaker RFPs collect those who have sessions in mind they are willing to present––whether alone or with others––so we can make this event focused on what’s really important, right now, in our roles and in our state. Submissions must be completed by August 7. 

CCforIowa’s New Website Coming Soon 

Over the past year, CCforIowa has been working diligently to consider the ways our website can set us up for greater success. What was top of mind for us: 

Updated site map 

Better showcasing our community colleges for external audiences 

More ways to keep information at our network’s fingertips for internal audiences 

An improved member portal for easier collaboration 

We’re excited to share that a whole new look and functionality will be released soon. An email will be sent to those who have logins to our member portal on how to use the new interface. While we’re being careful to minimize disruptions, there may be a small window of time that the website is down. It is also possible some old URLs will be broken. With any questions regarding the technology transition, please contact marketing@ccforiowa.org, and our team will assist. 

Job Opportunities: What better place to work than at an Iowa community college? 

No one knows better than our own network how great it is to work in a supportive, innovative, and collaborative place like an Iowa community college. Positions searching for candidates span faculty to operations to administration and beyond. If you know a talented and passionate Iowans who may be interested in a new chapter of their career at a community college, have them check out these job boards/listings: 

Does your campus want specific job opportunities highlighted? Email marketing@ccforiowa.org to be featured. 

Student Success Story: Meet Josie 

Meet Josie: A born-and-raised farm girl who’s bringing her work ethic and education back home. 🐮🌽 

Josie is learning everything possible about modern agricultural and animal husbandry techniques by simultaneously pursuing degrees in Agricultural Production Technology, AgriBusiness Technology, and Agricultural Management, in addition to certifications in AgriBusiness Finance, AgriBusiness Sales and Marketing, Beef, and Beef Science. She has appeared on the President’s list multiple times by maintaining a 4.0 GPA every semester. As if these academic achievements and helping out on her family’s farm weren’t enough already, Josie runs a successful graphic design business. 

Josie was recognized for her academic achievement and work ethic when named to the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society’s 2026 All-Iowa Academic Team. Thanks for all your hard work, Josie! 

Follow along with and share this student series through CCforIowa's social media channels! 

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