Member Bios
Regent Sherry Bates of Scranton spent her career as a social worker in Greene County. This included more than 20 years with the Greene County Medical Center in Jefferson and several years with the Iowa Department of Human Services. Regent Bates has been actively involved in her community through past...
Greta Rouse has a unique history among current Board of Regents members, having had two separate stints on the Board separated by nearly a decade. She first served on the Board as the student representative (then known as Greta Johnson) from 2008-12, during her time as an undergraduate and graduate...
David Barker is a partner in Barker Companies, which owns, manages and develops apartments and other real estate. He also has been an adjunct professor at the University of Iowa and the University of Chicago, teaching real estate investment, urban economics and corporate finance. Barker has published articles in academic...
After growing up outside of West Des Moines, Robert Cramer moved to Johnston for his high school years. He graduated from Iowa State University in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Construction Engineering and went on to become a Licensed Professional Engineer in 1996. Cramer served as Co-President...
Former state legislator Nancy Dunkel spent a long and distinguished career in banking before retiring. She served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 2013-2016. Dunkel has received numerous professional accolades, including receiving the James A. Leach Leadership Award from the Iowa Bankers Association in 2014. That honor recognizes a...
Lucy Gipple, a student at the University of Northern Iowa, was appointed to the Iowa Board of Regents by Governor Kim Reynolds on February 6, 2025. Gipple is majoring in elementary education, with a minor in social and emotional learning. She is involved in numerous activities at UNI, including being...
Former long-time Des Moines City Council member Christine Hensley brings a wealth of experience to the Board of Regents. Hensley previously served as executive director of the YWCA of Greater Des Moines, and as Vice President of Community and Government Affairs for Bank of the West. She also served six...
JC Risewick has 20 years of experience in human resources, sales and executive level leadership. With a background in human resources recruiting, sales training, management and field sales, he was able to leverage this experience to effectively grow and operate Seneca Companies, Inc., a business consisting of approximately 400 employees...
Kurt Tjaden, a long-time executive with numerous international corporate positions, brings more than 35 years of business experience to the Board of Regents. Tjaden retired in 2022 from HNI Corporation after nearly 15 years with the company, concluding with a five-year stint as President-International. Tjaden has been active with Iowa...