Pictured (L-R): Jeremy Puck, CEO Puck Custom; Dr. Joel Lundstrom, DMACC Carroll Campus Provost; Ken Behrens, Mayor of Templeton, Templeton Savings Bank President; Jen Wollesen, Site Director – DMACC Templeton Regional Center; Joe Behrens, Project Champion, Templeton Savings Bank Vice President; Trevor Miller, Superintendent – IKM-Manning and Exira-EHK; Eric Trager – Superintendent – Audubon and Coon Rapids- Bayard; Nick Romey, Project Champion and Templeton Area Development Corporation; Joe Pugel, DMACC Board Chair and Rob Denson, DMACC President
On Monday, Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) celebrated the ribbon cutting for their recently opened regional center in Templeton. The facility can be found on the community’s Main Street. DMACC President Rob Denson compared the career readiness center to Iowa’s famed Field of Dreams, saying, “If you build it, they will come.”
The nearly 11,000-square-foot facility is broken into four compartments with the latest equipment from each field. IKM-Manning Superintendent Trevor Miller and Audubon/Coon Rapids-Bayard Superintendent Eric Trager initially got the balling rolling on the project after seeing the substantial need for skills-based learning in west-central Iowa and partnered with staff a DMACC’s Carroll Campus to make it a reality. Sixty-eight students will pass through its hallways this fall, a 134-percent increase from its first year in 2022. DMACC Carroll Area Career Advantage Site Director Jen Wollesen played a pivotal role in sourcing the $1 million grant needed to get this project off the ground.
Carroll Campus Provost Joel Lundstrom was also instrumental in launching the project, serving as its chief advocate, and, at times, its general contractor. Lundstrom says the site will be an asset to DMACC and surrounding schools for years to come.
The many parties involved thanked Gov. Kim Reynolds for her overwhelming support for the project. She was slated to speak at the ribbon cutting but could not attend due to an unexpected scheduling conflict. In a written statement, she said, “There’s no better way to meet our workforce needs and grow our economy—especially in rural Iowa—than keeping talented young people in our communities by giving them opportunities to thrive right where they are. Just as this Career Center will do. I want to express my gratitude to everyone involved in making this possible. DMACC, the city of Templeton, business leaders in the community, and the five high schools taking advantage of this incredible opportunity.” Photos from Monday’s ribbon cutting are included with this story online.
