Donley addresses board at his final meeting

By Christina Crippes, Waterloo Courier

CEDAR FALLS -- Robert Donley said he never intended to stay in Iowa for nine years after taking the job as Iowa Board of Regents executive director and chief executive officer, in explaining why he is now resigning from that position.

He planned to commit for about three years of his contract, maybe up to five years. But now as he?s moving on, he?s ready to be closer to family out east.

?I made the decision several months ago,? Donley told media outside the regents meeting on the University of Northern Iowa campus Thursday after making comments to the board. ?This was my decision. No one should read anything other than that into this. The timing was perfect.?

He said with the board under new leadership and moving in the right direction, it was a good time to leave. He?ll stay on until July 15 to help with a transition to an interim director and to finish out duties as chairman of the State Higher Education Executive Officers.

Donley, 57, said he did not have future plans beyond going on a ?very long vacation.? He has been in higher education for 22 years, his second career, and didn?t say whether he would remain in the field in his next endeavor.

Donley spent time during his comments before the board both talking about how he ended up in Iowa, for a job he wasn?t necessarily interested in at first, and also the accomplishments during his tenure.

He said he is proud of the strategic planning that gave the board metrics and goals to achieve; decreases in student debt, increases in graduation rates; expanding online education; leveraging state dollars for better return on investments, among others.

?The journey, for me, has been very rewarding, and for the most part, fun. It did have its moments,? Donley said. ?This is not an easy job. I?m sure a lot of folks believe that it?s an easy job. But only when you?re in here, you know it?s not.?

He applauded the board members for their support and the staff for their work.

Donley acknowledged the salary cap on the position is a challenge. He said it was an issue nine years ago when he took the job and expects the board now could face challenges in limiting the salary -- by state statute -- for his replacement.

?It?s time for them to take a look at that, certainly,? Donley said.

He said the board will continue to have other challenges as well, but he said they will be up to the board and its president to handle.

Donley praised the new board pilot program to accept public comments at the meeting and hoped to see it ramp up beyond the two speakers who addressed the board Thursday. The first speaker was UNI?s United Faculty President Joe Gorton, who praised Donley in his final comments.

?I?m really sad to have received the news that Bob is moving on,? Gorton said. ?Bob has been a very effective collaborator with our organization.?

He called it a ?real honor and a privilege? to work with Donley.

Steve Gettel, superintendent for the Iowa schools for the deaf and blind, also said that Donley worked well with him and his ?small? schools, and always stressed the importance of the special schools as part of the regents? duties.

?We?ve gotten great support from him and from his staff,? Gettel said. ?I could always depend on Bob.?