Amy C. Novak has enjoyed a “straight A” year in 2021 – not only did the South Dakota native turn 50, the former president of Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, S.D., recently started a new job as 14th president of St. Ambrose University, Davenport. Her top priorities, unsurprisingly, are also all As. Chief among them are affordability, accessibility and attainability, Novak said Tuesday in an interview at her office, to help the private Catholic school make progress on key issues of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). “When we look at the data at who is completing and attaining... Read More

The past couple months have been a busy time in the private college presidential search business in the Quad-Cities. In late January, Augustana College president Steven Bahls announced he was delaying his planned retirement one year – from July 2021 to July 1, 2022. In early February, St. Ambrose University concluded its search process for the 14th president of the Davenport institution, naming Amy C. Novak, president of Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, S.D., to take the helm this August, with the retirement of Sister Joan Lescinski. And in late February, Augustana in Rock Island held... Read More

Today, it was announced that Steven Bahls will retire as president of Augustana College effective July 1, 2022, after a notable 19-year career leading the private Rock Island school. And, on the Iowa side of the Mississippi River, the head of the other major private university in the Quad-Cities, is also retiring. St. Ambrose University president Sister Joan Lescinski announced last summer she will retire effective August of 2021. A national search for the 14th president in the university’s 138-year history has been underway. Trustee alumni John Anderson ’87 and Renee Citera ’81 were appointed... Read More