Marketing Featured at Iowa Lakes Trustees Meeting

(Estherville, Iowa) The Iowa Lakes Marketing Department was featured at the Board of Trustees Meeting late Tuesday afternoon.

Beth Elman, Executive Director of Marketing, presented.

Elman, hired as the Executive Director of Marketing for Iowa Lakes Community College in July 2018, has more than 14 years of marketing and communications experience and earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication Studies from Iowa State University and an Associate in Arts Degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences from Iowa Lakes Community College.

Over the past 18 months, many new marketing initiatives have been implemented at Iowa Lakes. One main focus has been a brand refresh.

“Iowa Lakes has undergone a brand refresh to modernize and lift our brand. We strive for consistency in our tone, messaging, and overall presentation. Additionally, our brand refresh has allowed us to reposition ourselves in our market and to provide a new look and feel to better appeal to target demographics,” said Elman.

Other topics discussed during Tuesday’s presentation included advertising, the student journey to enrollment at Iowa Lakes, and lead generation of prospective students for the admissions team.

“Research has shown that 60% of high school students are discovering colleges and universities via an online search. Keeping these statistics in mind, we know that our digital presence is essential, but that we also need to maintain traditional methods to reach that other 40% of prospective students,” said Elman.

Elman also stated, “As marketing has evaluated the student journey through the admission process, it is essential to continue to deliver the right messages to prospective students at the right time. Proper messaging and communication are key to enrollment decisions for students.”

Delaine Hiney, Executive Director of Facilities Management, reported progress continues on the performing arts facility on the Estherville Campus. By the end of January, the installation of sound and lighting will be complete.

Hiney reported that the Chava wind turbine continues to operate at the Iowa Lakes College Farm. New signage was installed on the Emmetsburg and Estherville campuses last week.

“New, exterior, lighted, directional signage was installed, and these signs look great! The signage is designed with our new branding and with updated directional information. Prospective students and visitors will now have a better understanding of what services are available at each entrance,” said Hiney.

Jolene Rogers, Executive Director of Community and Business Relations, reported that the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program received notification of accreditation for five years. She also stated that Iowa Lakes will now offer professional dog grooming courses on the Emmetsburg Campus starting in March 2020.

“I’m looking forward to launching the professional dog grooming classes. We’ve been working on getting resources in place for a while and are hosting an information meeting Wednesday on the Emmetsburg Campus,” said Rogers.

Rogers shared that Iowa Lakes is now accepting scholarship applications. Early-bird awarding will begin on February 1, 2020.

Students are encouraged to complete their scholarship applications online, or for assistance, contact Alison Mason at 712.362.0491 or via email at scholarships@iowalakes.educreate new email.

The next meeting of the Iowa Lakes Board of Trustees will be on Tuesday, February 18, 2020, in Estherville.

For More Information:

Iowa Lakes Marketing office at 712-362-7947