Southwestern Community College Board of Trustees

Taken from the 2023-24 SWCC Mag
By Terri Higgins, SWCC director of marketing and enrollment management

Current board of trustees members (pictured above from left to right):

• Sue Stearns of Woodburn, District 3, Community Colleges for Iowa board member
• Kevin Britten of Red Oak, District 5, SWCC Education Foundation board member
• Carol Saxton of Leon, District 4
• Fred Shearer of Corning, vice president, District 2
• Dr. Tony Cass of Creston, president, District 8
• Lindsay Stoaks, SWCC president
• Carmalee Woods, board secretary
• Zach Gunsolley of Diagonal, District 6
• Jane Ernst of Greenfield, District 1
• Amy Mobley of Maloy, District 7 (pictured at right)
• Brandi Shay, board treasurer (not pictured)

Thanks to these outgoing board members:

Vicki Sickels, Mount Ayr, SWCC board member, October 2007-July 2022

Vicki Sickels of Mount Ayr, stepped down from the board of trustees in July 2022. Sickels and her husband relocated to the Des Moines area. Sickels had been the District 7 representative on SWCC’s board since October 2007. During the July 2022 meeting, Cass thanked Sickels for her "time, talent, and service" to the college.

Best of luck to you and your family, Vicki!

Sickels was replaced on the board in August 2022 by Amy Mobley of Maloy. Mobley was elected to the position in November 2023. She is the chief nursing officer at Ringgold County Hospital in Mount Ayr.

Jerry Smith, Osceola, SWCC board member, May 1997-June 2023

Smith also served as Southwestern’s Community Colleges for Iowa board member and as a SWCC Education Foundation board member.

Jerry Smith of Osceola, retired from the SWCC board of trustees in June 2023, following 26 years of service. In addition to serving as the SWCC representative to Community Colleges for Iowa, Smith was the member who served on the SWCC Education Foundation board. During the March 2023 board of trustees meeting, when Smith announced his retirement, Dr. Tony Cass, SWCC board president, told Smith, "You’ve been an extremely valuable board member for all these years."

As Smith closed out his final board meeting in May 2023 (pictured below), he stated, "After a few hundred meetings, and lots of years, I would tell you all my participation in this has really enriched my life. I’ve met hundreds of people, made hundreds of friends … I’ve learned a lot, have traveled the state and seen lots of community colleges. People don’t realize Iowa is recognized as one of the best community college systems in the country."

Smith was replaced on the board by Sue Stearns of Woodburn, who was appointed as District 3 board member in July 2023 and elected to the position in November 2023.

Best of luck to you, Jerry! We thank you for your years of service and we will miss your strong leadership locally and at the state level!