Creston— The Southwestern Community College (SWCC) board of directors met on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, at 5:30 p.m., in the college’s Administration Center, for their regular board meeting.
The board approved 2025-26 appointments to the SWCC Education Foundation board of directors, as follows: Kevin Britten of Red Oak, Julie Lanning of Creston, Shawna Parrish of Diagonal, Allen Pohren of Red Oak, Lindsay Stoaks of Corning, and Alec Turner of Corning. Following a question about a representative from the eastern portion of SWCC’s region, SWCC President Lindsay Stoaks stated the SWCC Education Foundation had received a board resignation and is actively looking for representation in the Clarke County and/or Decatur County.
Dr. John Franklin, SWCC vice president of instruction, told the board the college was requesting approval to purchase a replacement paint booth for the auto collision repair/refinish program. At the beginning of fall 2025 semester, there was an incident in the lab area and the paint booth was damaged beyond repair. Franklin said college administration was seeking approval to spend as much as $130,000 for replacement of the booth. He said insurance proceeds will be used toward the cost of a similar paint booth. The board approved the request following Franklin’s explanation.
Wayne Pantini, SWCC vice president of economic development, talked to the board about the progress of the skilled trades facility to be constructed on the east side of the SWCC Creston campus. Pantini said the facility will be home to carpentry and building trades, electrical technology, emergency medical services (EMS), and career academy programs. He explained an agreement with Shive-Hattery, Inc. was necessary to provide architectural services to support the college and the construction manager, Hansen Company, Inc., in obtaining competitive bids, awarding contracts, and preparing construction agreements. Following Pantini’s presentation, the board approved the Shive-Hattery AIA agreement.
James Brown and Corey Foltz, with Solutions Management Group, were at the meeting to provide an overview of the installation of a new surveillance camera system at the college, as well as implementation of an access control system. Brown said 108 cameras and three servers were installed at SWCC during the first phase of the project, along with hardware for 27 doors. With the camera and software in place, updates will take place quarterly on the system. Brown offered the timeline for phases two and three of the project.
Emily Shields, executive director of Community Colleges for Iowa, introduced Kate Walton, a lobbyist from Eide Walton, the firm now assisting Iowa community colleges. Walton spoke about the upcoming 2026 legislative session, noting this session will be a time of transition and uncertainty due to anticipated changes in leadership and committee chair positions.
Shields provided a brief update regarding the 2026 legislative priorities for community colleges.
Franklin shared information regarding the proposed Mount Ayr CTE Training Center. The facility will be located south of Mount Ayr Community Schools, and will provide hands-on training for students. Partners in this venture are Mount Ayr Community Schools, Ringgold County Development, and SWCC. Once constructed, career academy programs, such as automotive repair technology, welding technology, nurse assisting, and education will be offered in Mount Ayr for students from Mount Ayr and neighboring school districts. Franklin said the completed structure is slated to be 12,000 square-feet. Groundbreaking is scheduled for late October 2025. Programming should begin at the facility during the fall 2026 semester.
Kim Bishop, dean of students, reminded the board about the 2025 Southwestern Athletic Fundraiser, scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025, at 5:30 p.m., in the Student Center gymnasium. Bishop said tickets are $40 for an individual and $75 for a couple. Bill Krejci, Southwestern Athletic Hall of Fame coach and athletic director, will be an honored guest and guest speaker for the event. The evening will include dinner, silent and live auctions, games, and prizes.
Stoaks invited board members to attend the ORBIT Center Grand Opening, scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 15, from 3:30-5 p.m.
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