Photo courtesy of Iowa Board of Regents

A Scranton resident will be stepping away from a statewide position that she has held for over ten years.

The Iowa Board of Regents, a nine-member entity that oversees the three state universities, announced that its President Sherry Bates of Scranton and President Pro Tem Greta Rouse will resign on December 4th. Additionally, Rouse will remain on the Board through the end of her term in 2027. Bates’ term runs until April 30, 2029 and the Board of Regents will have a special meeting on December 3rd to hold elections for its new leadership.

Bates said that she appreciates her time on the Board, being first appointed by former Governor Terry Branstad on December 22, 2014. Bates was then reappointed by Branstad in 2017 and again by Governor Kim Reynolds in 2023. 

Bates expressed that it is time for her to step back and spend more time with family, along with giving the next generation of Regent leadership to continue their good work. Bates was the interim President on January 16, 2024, after the previous president stepped down. She was then elected as President on February 28, 2024.