Final Meeting for Regent Boettger
The April 19-20 meeting of the Board of Regents will be the last for Regent Nancy Boettger, whose 6-year term ends April 30.
Regent Boettger was appointed to the Board on March 1, 2017 by Governor Terry Branstad. She served as Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee, which provides oversight of academic programs, faculty activities, admissions standards and student success benchmarks. Additionally, she served as a commissioner of the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC), an organization of 12 member states that strengthens postsecondary education through cost-saving initiatives and policy solutions.
Boettger’s six-year term on the Board was marked most notably by the COVID-19 pandemic and the transition to remote learning during 2020 and 2021. As Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee, Regent Boettger helped steer Iowa’s public universities through one of their most tumultuous periods.
“We met almost every day via zoom,” she said. “We were determined to really stay tied in and on top of what was happening on the campuses. It was very tough trying to come close to a normal college experience, but we wanted to make sure the students could be as successful as possible.”
Boettger ranks the searches for Iowa State University President Wendy Wintersteen and University of Iowa President Barbara Wilson as the most impactful and memorable experiences during her term.
“It was a privilege working on the search committees,” she said. “For Wendy [Wintersteen], it was right at the beginning of my time on the Board, so it was a great way to get acquainted with everyone at Iowa State. We did so much over Zoom because of Covid during the University of Iowa search that we were really excited to finally meet each other face to face. Everyone was so committed and proud to be a part of it.”
Boettger and her husband of more than 50 years, David, met on campus at Iowa State University. They have four children and 16 grandchildren.
“it’s been a highlight of my life to serve on this board,” she said. “It’s a great board of committed people who do their homework and volunteer. They’re dedicated to keeping our university system great.”
