I hope this finds everyone doing well and enjoying summer. I am writing to let you know about an exciting development in Drake’s renewed effort to advance the vibrancy of the surrounding neighborhood. With President Martin’s leadership and the collaborative work of an advisory group of faculty, staff, neighborhood, and community members, steps are being taken to explore future developments along University Avenue. Today, Drake issued a request for proposals to developers for projects along a portion of Drake-owned land south of University Avenue. This marks an exciting first step in assessing what might be possible as we look to building a lasting legacy for Drake and the surrounding neighborhood.

I hope you will take some time to read the press release below, which was issued July 18.

—Venessa Macro, Chief Administration Officer

Drake University issues RFP for development along University Avenue

Marking a renewed commitment to the growth and development of the Drake Neighborhood, Drake University announced today that it is seeking proposals from a pre-determined group of eleven Iowa firms to develop a plot of University-owned land along University Avenue in Des Moines. The University has formally set expectations that any proposal submitted must be in keeping with the neighborhood’s character and beneficial to Drake students, neighborhood residents, and the economic growth of the area.

The University is collaborating with the Neighborhood Development Corporation to accomplish this ambitious goal. The NDC is a community-focused, non-profit that works to revitalize neighborhoods and promote sustainable development in part through urban planning and real estate development consulting services. Working closely with organizations that have vast local experience will help ensure projects that drive economic development going forward.

“Drake University has been an anchor in Des Moines for 135 years and, with this request for proposals, the University is leading the way in attracting transformative development to the neighborhood,” said NDC Executive Director Glenn Lyons. “Drake is setting themselves and the community up for success by forming a special committee to guide this project’s trajectory, including campus administrators, faculty, staff, trustees, a local business owner, and neighborhood residents.”

Drake University President Marty Martin, who recently celebrated the conclusion of his first year on campus, said the University is looking at tangible and viable ways for Drake to integrate more fully with the surrounding neighborhood.

“The plans that come out of this process will be a collaborative effort that catalyzes economic development in the area and enhances the student and community experience,” Martin said. “Drake is committed to working with partners who will build something that people will be proud of and is befitting of this prominent location.”

Martin also noted the impact that construction on the north side of campus is already having on recruitment efforts for students interested in STEM programs. Those improvements already have campus abuzz with the sights and sounds of growth, whereas the University Avenue project will add a new dimension of excitement for students and the surrounding community.

The site the University is immediately turning its attention to is located on the south side of University Avenue between 25th and 27th Streets, excluding First Christian Church. Most of the nearly 2.65-acre site neighboring First Christian Church has sat empty for years; it previously served as the home of Memorial Hall, which was built in 1905 and razed in 1996 due to age. Long-term plans under consideration call for assessing development possibilities elsewhere along University Avenue, with this first phase spurring future growth.

Developers will have six weeks to respond to the RFP. The University will then assess the proposals, including any necessary work to prepare the site for development. Drake will engage the neighborhood and surrounding communities throughout the RFP process to ensure the community is apprised of new developments. In the coming months, the University will lead key stakeholders through the formation of a master plan for development along University Avenue, which will take into account long-term needs for the University and its students as well as economic development for the areas surrounding campus.

New Director of Sponsored Programs
I want to extend a warm welcome to Mary Pat Wohlford, who joined Drake on July 1 as our new director of sponsored programs. She comes to Drake from The Registry, the nation’s premier interim higher education executive search firm. Her most recent assignment for them was as associate vice provost at Suffolk University. She has extensive experience in grants management and sponsored programs in a variety of universities, including Suffolk, Albany State University, Kansas City University, and Des Moines University. She has a B.S. degree in health information management from Stephens College, an M.S. in health care administration from Des Moines University, an M.A. in industrial design and technology from the University of Iowa, and a Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy studies from Iowa State University. I am certain she will bring valuable leadership and direction to Sponsored Programs.

Learning Symposium
Here is one last reminder to register for the 2016 Learning Symposium, Inclusive Excellence. In addition to an exciting array of sessions, this year’s Symposium features two new additions. First, as previously announced, our guest presenter for the afternoon session will be Jennifer Godinez, AS’97, associate director of Minnesota Education Equity Partnership. Second, over the lunch hour we will be announcing the 2016 recipient of the Principal Financial Group Global Citizenship Award. The 2015 recipient, announced at last fall’s Convocation, was Professor Ellen Yee.

2016 Learning Symposium: “Inclusive Excellence ”
Aug. 19, 7:45 a.m.–1:40 p.m.
Sheraton West Des Moines
1800 50th Street, West Des Moines

Register and select the sessions you would like to attend here—space is limited by the size of the rooms.

Last Hurrah
This is my final contribution to OnCampus as interim provost. (That sudden breeze you just felt was a collective sigh of relief from campus.) I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for the support and encouragement you have extended to me during the past 15 months. Over the past few weeks, people have been asking me if I am looking forward to the end of my term, which may be their way of hinting that they are looking forward to that end. The truth is that serving as your provost has been a privilege and a pleasure (for me at least), and a role I never imagined myself filling when I came to Drake 34 years ago. I am deeply grateful to President Martin for his trust in asking me to serve as your provost, and it has been an exhilarating experience to have had the opportunity to work with him during his inaugural year. I also want to thank Keith Summerville, who has done an extraordinary job as interim dean of Arts & Sciences, leaving the college in better shape for me than I left it for him. Finally, I know that you will extend the same generosity of spirit to Sue Mattison, as she becomes provost on July 18, that you gave to me. Thank you.

—Joe Lenz, Interim Provost

David Golder, FA’79, managing partner of Golder Investment Management and vice president and treasurer of the Golder Family Foundation, has been named chair of the Drake University Board of Trustees. Golder, who has served on the board since 2005, starts his term as chair on July 1. Read more in the Drake Newsroom.

I am happy to announce the new Dean of Admission, Annie Kremer, who brings with her more than a decade of experience in undergraduate admissions at universities including DePaul, Northwestern, and Bradley. She will officially begin Aug. 8.

As you may recall, President Martin announced in March that the the Office of Admission will move under the Provost’s Office in mid-July. This move allows our admission efforts to more closely align with our academic programs and will create better integration of the prospective student experience with our enrollment management activities for matriculated students.

As part of this reorganization we converted the director of admission position into a new dean of admission. This position will provide day-to-day oversight to the Office of Admission and will report to me. Annie will be responsible for the creation, development, and implementation of enrollment goals and strategies.

Annie’s qualifications for the position speak for themselves. She is currently serving as an associate director of admission at DePaul University in Chicago where she is responsible for managing a team of admission professionals; overseeing the university’s welcome center; as well as developing, executing, and assessing DePaul’s visit strategy. She managed a budget of $200,000 for on- and off-campus recruitment and developed and implemented an undergraduate visit strategy to accommodate approximately 20,000 visitors each year.

Prior to working for DePaul, Annie served as a senior assistant director at Northwestern University and an admission counselor at Bradley University. She recently completed a three-year term as president of the Illinois Association for College Admission Counseling, and is a member of the National Association for College Admissions Counseling.

She received her master of education in higher education administration from Loyola University Chicago and a bachelor of science in marketing and management from Iowa State University. Annie and her husband, Michael, have two children, Isabel and Patrick.

Annie has the energy and vision to help Drake University grow enrollment in both our liberal arts and professional programs. The entire Admission team is thrilled to have someone with her leadership skills join our efforts to bring quality students to Drake.

—Keith Summerville, Interim Dean, College of Arts & Sciences; incoming Deputy Provost

I’m pleased to announce that David Remund, a Drake alumnus and former assistant professor in Drake’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication, has been hired as the University’s director of alumni relations.

David brings a passion for Drake, extensive experience in higher education, and two decades of public relations experience—including leadership roles within three Fortune 250 corporations—to the alumni relations director position beginning Aug. 15. I believe his creativity, leadership, and unwavering commitment to the University will be the defining characteristics of his service as director.

David holds a B.A. in public relations and advertising and a Master of Communication Leadership from Drake. He also holds a Ph.D. in strategic communications from the University of North Carolina. He worked in communications and public relations roles at businesses including Sigler Companies, Bank of America, The Principal Financial Group, and Wells Fargo Home Mortgage.

He taught undergraduate and graduate-level public relations courses at Drake from 2011 to 2014, serving as co-director of the Master of Communication Leadership program. Most recently, he was assistant professor of public relations at the University of Oregon.

David’s leadership style, professional background, and passion for Drake uniquely position him to assume the leadership role as director of alumni relations. I am energized by his optimism and confident that he will be received well by all in the Drake community. Alumni and Development, and all of the University, will benefit from his return home to campus.

—John Smith, Vice President for Alumni and Development

The transition to an integrated Facilities Planning and Management, in which both staff and managers are employed by Drake, has begun. Executive Director Kevin Moran has started the process of filling other key leadership positions and evaluating an appropriate management structure. As we transition in the next few weeks, every effort will be made to maintain continuity of operations.

We ask for your patience and understanding as we make this important transition. We encourage your questions and feedback as we move forward. Please continue to submit work orders using the current system or call the main office number, 271-3955.

Once Facilities Planning and Management is fully staffed, the department will be committed to accomplishing the following long-term goals:

• Advance continuous improvement planning and measurement in facilities management.
• Achieve exceptional customer service outcomes.
• Leverage resources for maximum efficiency and effectiveness.
• Empower employees to contribute in meaningful ways to facilities excellence.
• Ensure comprehensive and long term capital planning processes.
• Communicate effectively and openly about priorities, budgeting, and project planning.
• Build greater capacity for advances in environmental sustainability and coordinated space planning.

We will continue to provide updates on the Facilities Services webpage and in OnCampus. Please don’t hesitate to contact Kevin Moran, kevin.moran@drake.edu, or Jolene Schmidt, jolene.schmidt@drake.edu, if you have any questions.

—Kevin Moran, Executive Director, Facilities Planning and Management

Plans to move the University Bookstore to Olmsted Center are underway. This move brings bookstore operations closer to students, faculty, and staff. The bookstore will be located on the west end of the first floor of Olmsted Center (west of the Pomerantz stage area). The Office of Events will move to existing office space in the lower level of Olmsted Center. The current bookstore location at 3003 Forest Ave. is being evaluated as the future site of Drake’s occupational therapy program. Watch for more information about the project in OnCampus.

—Venessa Macro, Chief Administration Officer

Drake is proud to host 25 Mandela Washington Fellows as a part of the Young African Leaders Initiative for six weeks this summer. Join us to welcome the Fellows at a reception hosted by President Marty Martin. The Drake community, along with those partners who will be interacting with the Fellows throughout their time here are welcome to attend! Please RSVP online by Wednesday, June 15, so we have a general idea of how many people to expect.

—Amanda Martin, AmeriCorps and Service-Learning Programs Coordinator

On June 13, 2016 Kevin Moran will join Drake as executive director, facilities planning and management. Kevin will lead key changes to facilities operations in light of Drake’s decision to terminate its third-party facilities management contract effective July 1. Kevin was previously employed by the City of Des Moines, where he held a variety of positions—each with expanding responsibilities and accomplishments—over a 15-year period. Most recently, he served on a leadership team within the Parks and Recreation Department as senior park planner/properties administrator, where he developed, managed, and implemented capital improvement plans for city parks, trails, community centers, entertainment facilities, and pools. Kevin brings to the position skills and experience in budgeting, design, planning, construction, project management, and leadership.

Kevin received his Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture from Iowa State University. In 2005, he successfully completed the Drake Certified Public Manager program. Kevin is a registered landscape architect and certified Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) coordinator.

Please join us in welcoming Kevin to the Drake community.

—Venessa Macro, Chief Administration Officer