Jane Ernst of Greenfield was appointed to the Soutwestern Community College (SWCC) board of trustees during its regularly scheduled meeting Feb. 12.
Ernst takes the place of Denny Davis, who resigned from the board Jan. 31, and will serve on the board until the next regular election.
“I’m guessing there’s going to be a huge learning curve this first year,” said Ernst.”I’m excited to learn how things work. I know there’s going to be a lot to learn, but I also know there are going to be a lot of great opportunities ... I’m excited to be part of that and the decisions that need to be made.”
Ernst, who raised her four children in Greenfield with her husband Bill, has more than 35 years of nursing experiences, is a registered nurse and the public health director for Adair County Health System. In her community, Ernst has served on the Nodaway Valley School board for 10 years, Sunshine Day Care board for 12 years, and served on the Emmanuel Lutheran Church council for six years. She is currently president of the Greenfield Chamber/Main Street board of directors and a member of the Nodaway Valley Wellness Committee.
“Jane will be a good fit for Southwestern’s board,” said SWCC President Barb Crittenden. “As a life-long resident of the college’s region and an active member of the Greenfield community, she will represent her district well.”
In other SWCC board news:
• The board set a public hearing for review and approval of the college’s FY 2020 budget for 5:30 p.m. March 12.
• The board agreed to utilize an online survey for the annual evaluation of SWCC President Barb Crittenden.
• Dr. Katie Davidson, SWCC dean of student services, reported to the board that spring 2019 enrollment is at 1,522 students, compared to 1,578 students during the spring 2018 semester.
• Jerry Smith, SWCC board member from Osceola and Iowa Association of Community College Trustees (IACCT) representative, gave a brief report on the most recent IACCT meeting.