IOWA LAKES COMMUNITY COLLEGE PRESIDENT RETIRES

The president of Iowa Lakes Community College officially informed the Board of Trustees that he’ll be retiring, effective Feb. 1, 2006. Mike Hupfer, college president since November of 2001, made the formal announcement Tuesday at the Board of Trustees meeting.

“What I’ve appreciated most in these four years is the confidence the Trustees have shown in our leadership team as we’ve expanded the college with new programs,” said President Hupfer. “I’m also very proud of the people serving on the President’s cabinet. It’s the best cabinet I have had the pleasure of working with in the six jobs during my career.”

During his tenure, President Hupfer oversaw a great deal of program growth. New programs included: Wind Energy and Turbine Technology; Massage Therapy; Computer Forensics in the Criminal Justice Program; Evening and Weekend Nursing; Paramedic; Landscape and Turfgrass Technician; Pharmacy Technician; Biomass Energy Processing; Sustainable Energy Resources Management; and, Web Development and Design.

Enrollment has increased in the last four years. In fact, this past year, credit hours were up 8.2 percent, the largest credit hour percentage increase in the state, including four-year and two-year colleges.

“It’s been a great four years,” said President Hupfer.

In addition to his job as President of Iowa Lakes, he is serving this year as the President of the “Presidents’ group” of the Iowa Association of Community College Trustees/Presidents.

In accepting the retirement, Board President Jack Tatman, Spirit Lake, thanked Pres. Hupfer for his years of service. “He’s honest, he’s hard working and he’s thorough.”

“Mike, we’re going to miss you. Good luck,” said Tatman.

In other business at the meeting, the Iowa Lakes Report was led by the co-coordinators of the Aviation/Airport Management Program at the college. They shared information about the program – as well as the new Cirrus SR20 airplane which makes Iowa Lakes the first college in the nation to add such a high-tech plane to its fleet.

“This plane was made specifically for Iowa Lakes,” said Ron Duer, Program Co-Coordinator and Chief Flight Instructor. 

With the addition of the Cirrus, aviation students learn hands-on, in a state-of-the-art plane. This specifically is used during the instrument phase of their training, according to Pat Hall, Co-coordinator of the program. In addition, students talked about their education.

Also during the meeting, the Trustees held a public hearing on the sale of industrial training certificates (bonds) for a New Jobs Training Project.

In other business, the Trustees conducted regular monthly business and heard reports from state and regional groups.

The next meeting of the Iowa Lakes Board of Trustees will be Tuesday, Oct. 18 in Estherville.