AMES, Iowa - Iowa State University President Gregory Geoffroy will receive the 2012 Chief Executive Leadership Award from CASE (the Council for Advancement and Support of Education) District VI at its annual conference Jan. 9 in Denver.
Geoffroy's honor was announced Dec. 16 as he presided over his last President's Council meeting at Iowa State. His 10 ½ year presidency will conclude Jan. 15.
CASE VI's Chief Executive Leadership Award recognizes member presidents, chancellors or other campus chief executive officers for outstanding efforts in promoting and supporting education and institutional advancement. Nominees for the award must create a vision, inspire others, actively support advancement, increase the institution's stature in the community, and encourage faculty and staff innovation.
As Iowa State's 14th president, Geoffroy led the development of two ambitious, five-year strategic plans. He has focused on recruiting and retaining top faculty, staff and students; private fundraising to support faculty positions and student scholarships; and sustaining and advancing Iowa's position in growing the bioeconomy.
Under Geoffroy's leadership, Iowa State has set records in fundraising, enrollment and external funding. During his presidency, the ISU Foundation raised $1.1 billion, including the conclusion of Campaign Iowa State (which raised $867 million toward an $800 million goal). The university reached a record $388.2 million in grants, contracts, gifts and cooperative agreements during FY10. And student enrollment soared to nearly 30,000 this fall. Iowa State's record 2011 fall enrollment of 29, 887 marked five consecutive years of growth, included all-time high numbers of new (direct from high school) and transfer students, and welcomed the most diverse student body in Iowa State history.
Geoffroy has been a mainstay at Rotary clubs, high schools and alumni events throughout Iowa, the country and the world. During his presidency, Iowa State University's Alumni Association topped 50,000 members, and through fundraising, was able to construct a new Alumni Center on campus to welcome Iowa Staters home.
In his letter nominating Geoffroy for CASE VI's Chief Executive Leadership Award, ISU Foundation President Dan Saftig wrote: "By any number of measures, Geoffroy has led Iowa State to greater heights, from financial security and positive campus morale, to the Cyclone pride one sees reflected throughout the community, to an enhanced reputation and role throughout the nation and world. Even in a challenging economy, his tenure has resulted in a university with a strong financial foundation, thanks largely to a resource management budget model he introduced, a record enrollment, a powerful research program, and a top-notch faculty engaged in educating tomorrow's leaders. None of these achievements would have been accomplished without the steady and innovative leadership of Greg Geoffroy."
Jeff Johnson, ISU Alumni Association president and CEO, added, "Greg's understanding of the 'three-legged stool' concept of university advancement (communications, alumni relations and philanthropy) has served our university well these past 10 years. He never turned down an opportunity to interact with alumni, and he often mentioned that our annual 50-year reunion weekend held each spring was one of the highlights of his year."
