PRESS RELEASE: IOWA LAKES BOARD HIGHLIGHTS ATHLETIC TRAINING IMPACT AND COMMITMENT TO STUDENT CARE
(Estherville, Iowa) – The Iowa Lakes Community College Board of Trustees met this week for its February meeting, opening with a moment of silence honoring members of the Iowa Lakes baseball team and Carter “Tater” Johnson. The board then proceeded with scheduled business, including an update on the college’s athletic training program and other institutional reports.
Trustees received an in-depth report on the Iowa Lakes athletic training and sports medicine program, which serves approximately 280 student-athletes across 16 varsity sports on three campuses.
The team is led by Kim Venteicher, director of sports medicine and head athletic trainer. Venteicher earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Winona State University and a Master of Science degree from Michigan State University. In addition to overseeing sports medicine operations, she serves as a lead adjunct instructor for the exercise science and kinesiology transfer major program.
She is joined by Anna Berg, athletic trainer and adjunct instructor, who earned a Bachelor of Science degree from South Dakota State University and a Master of Science degree from Minnesota State University. Berg primarily serves student-athletes on the Spencer and Emmetsburg campuses and provides additional support in Estherville, ensuring consistent access to athletic training services across all locations.
The program also partners with Erin Verschoor, a contracted physical therapist through Avera Holy Family Hospital, strengthening coordination between campus-based care and regional health care providers.
A defining strength of the Iowa Lakes athletic training program is its integration with trusted regional health care partners. The college maintains active partnerships with Avera Holy Family Hospital, Avera Medical Group Estherville, Northwest Iowa Bone and Joint Surgeons and other area health care providers. These partnerships support coordinated care, including expedited referrals, diagnostic services, orthopedic consultation and rehabilitation planning. An orthopedic surgeon is available on campus weekly, and rehabilitation services are completed in-house, reducing recovery time and maintaining continuity of care.
The athletic training program also collaborates with Lost & Found, a Sioux Falls-based mental health organization focused on suicide prevention and student well-being. Through this partnership, Iowa Lakes strengthens its support network for student-athletes by connecting physical health services with mental health awareness and resources.
Together, the staff provides injury prevention, emergency response, rehabilitation and daily clinical support. This year alone, the team has conducted 2,552 student appointments while maintaining presence at all home contests and traveling for regional and national competitions.
“Our role extends beyond injury management,” Venteicher said. “We focus on supporting the whole student, working closely with coaches, health care providers and families to ensure our student-athletes are cared for physically and positioned to succeed both in competition and in the classroom.”
Trustees then addressed additional items of college business, including an update on the college’s coordinated response to last week’s bus accident involving members of the Iowa Lakes baseball team.
Beth Elman, executive director of marketing, outlined the cross-departmental efforts to support students and families, coordinate with law enforcement and ensure consistent communication throughout the process.
“Our focus throughout has been supporting our students and their families with steadiness and integrity,” Elman said. “Every decision was made with their well-being at the center.”
Elman noted that the response required both immediacy and discipline in communication.
“In highly visible situations, communication must be both immediate and disciplined,” she said. “Our responsibility was to provide clarity, protect student privacy and ensure information was accurate before it was shared.”
“Leadership in moments like this requires clarity with discipline,” Elman added. “We made deliberate decisions to centralize messaging, align internally and support families while honoring investigative boundaries.”
Robert Leifeld, vice president of administration, also provided a facilities update outlining ongoing campus improvement projects designed to enhance instructional spaces and student facilities.
In foundation business, Dan Lutat, executive director of foundation and governmental relations, received board approval to accept two gifts benefiting Iowa Lakes students.
The board approved a $10,000 gift to establish the Daryl Madison Memorial Scholarship. The fund will provide $2,000 awards annually to students participating in men’s basketball, women’s basketball or softball, supporting access to education while honoring a legacy connected to Iowa Lakes athletics.
Trustees also approved acceptance of an anonymous $10,000 gift to support scholarships for students enrolled in Construction Technology on the Emmetsburg campus and expressed appreciation for the continued generosity of donors who invest in student success and academic opportunity.
Additionally, the board approved tuition and fee rates for the 2026-27 academic year, including a 3% increase in the per-credit-hour tuition rate. The adjustment reflects the college’s annual budget planning process and ongoing operational costs.