Stoaks named SWCC president

Southwestern Community College approved its sixth president Tuesday at their monthly board meeting.

A president’s chapter 279 administrator contract was approved for Lindsay Stoaks, SWCC interim president.

Stoaks has served as interim president since May 2023. She was appointed to the role of interim president by Southwestern’s board following the departure of Dr. Marjorie McGuire-Welch in May 2023.

Prior to this appointment, she served as SWCC’s vice president of instruction. As vice president of instruction, Stoaks directed all matters related to academic instruction, programs, services and operations.

Stoaks has been employed at Southwestern since May 2010 when she was hired as the coordinator of secondary programs. She became the college’s assistant vice president of instruction, under the direction of longtime Southwestern Vice President of Instruction Bill Taylor, in July 2013.

Taylor and Stoaks worked hand-in-hand directing the daily functions of the instructional division of the college until Taylor’s untimely passing on Nov. 7, 2019, following a sudden battle with pancreatic cancer, at which time Stoaks moved into the vice president role.

Since November 2014, Stoaks has served as a Higher Learning Commission (HLC) assurance co-coordinator for the college’s accreditation process. In addition, she has assisted in guiding the college’s Iowa Department of Education and National Alliance for Concurrent Enrollment Program accreditation efforts. She completed leadership training through the Community College Leadership Initiative Consortium (CLIC) at Iowa State during the 2011-12 academic year.

Stoaks has a masters of science degree in agricultural education and studies, as well as a bachelor of arts degree in journalism and mass communication from Iowa State University.

Stoaks and her husband, Shane, are active in the Lenox community and volunteer with many school and recreational activities for their three children.