Visionary Leaders Legacy Forum - May 2025
Featured Leader: Rob Denson, Des Moines Area Community College
The Visionary Leaders Legacy Forum is a powerful speaker series spotlighting executives who are nearing or have recently entered retirement after decades of impactful leadership. Each month, we gather to hear from a different visionary as they share their personal leadership journey, lessons learned, defining moments, and the legacy they hope to leave behind.
This "last lecture"-style experience offers a rare opportunity to reflect on a lifetime of leadership and gain wisdom from some of our region’s most respected voices. Whether you’re an emerging leader or a seasoned executive, you’ll walk away inspired and better equipped to shape your own legacy.
Come learn from the legends who helped shape our business community—and discover how their stories can guide your own leadership path.
Rob Denson was appointed DMACC’s 4th President in 58 years on November 1, 2003. He grew up on a farm near Homestead, Iowa, south of the Amana Colonies, and attended a 1-room country school before graduating from high school in Marengo. He is the first native-born Iowan to be President of DMACC and is now, in his 21st year, the longest serving DMACC President. Rob helped pay his way through college driving a semi for a KENT Feed Mill and earned a B.S. in Political Science and Economics and a Master’s Degree in Higher Education Administration from Iowa State University. He worked for Iowa State as an Assistant Dean for three years before moving to Florida where he served as an Assistant Dean of Students at the University of Florida. Rob graduated from Law School at the University of Florida in 1979 and became an Associate University Attorney for three years before operating his own civil trial law practice for 16 years.
A successful board-certified civil trial lawyer, in 1996 he retired from active private practice of law and became Assistant to the President and Dean for Institutional Advancement at Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville, Florida. In 1998, Rob returned to Iowa as President of Northeast Iowa Community College in Calmar and Dubuque, where he served successfully for 5 years, growing enrollment 58%, before coming to DMACC. Rob loves his job at DMACC and is active on several community boards, including three years on the United Way of Central Iowa Board. In addition to his DMACC position, he serves on the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council and Executive Committee and on the boards of Iowa Student Loan Liquidity, the Future Ready Iowa, the Agribusiness Association of Iowa, the Iowa Direct Caregivers Association, the Iowa Rural Development Council, the Greater Des Moines Partnership, the Iowa Innovation Council, the Iowa Economic Development Authority, the SHAZAM Board, and others. DMACC grew from 20,734 to 36,861 students during his tenure and is recognized as a leader and innovator in post-secondary education, workforce, and collaboration with business. He was inducted into the Iowa Business Hall of Fame on May 1, 2024 and received the 2024 Karen Evans Immigrant Champion Award.
Rob’s wife Pat is a full partner in their commitment to Iowa, DMACC, and students and they have two children and five grandchildren. They consider themselves very blessed.
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