Photo courtesy of DMACC Director of Marketing and Public Relations Todd Jones

The leader of the Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) is retiring at the end of the year, after serving over two decades.

According to a press release, DMACC President Rob Denson will be stepping down from his position that he has served since 2003. The release states that Denson has over 40 years in higher education with 30 years of experience as a college president, initially with Northeast Iowa Community College. DMACC owns the VanKirk Career Academy campus in Perry and Director Eddie Diaz highlights that Denson is responsible for helping him get his title back in 2018.

“He’s meant a lot to me, and more so to a lot of people in central Iowa. He’s a bit of an icon in our region. He’s always been an advocate for our rural communities, the students regardless of where they’re from, and he’s been a mentor to me. He’s a good example of a lot of work ethic and is always innovating, looking for the next biggest challenge, so it’s been a pleasure to work for him.”

According to the community college, Denson was the fourth president over DMACC’s 59 years of existence. He will serve the remainder of 2025.