Iowa Central Named 2023 Top Workplace

by Emilie Jenson, Public Information Office
Posted on 9/22/2023

Iowa Central Community College has been named among the top workplaces in Iowa for large companies employing more than 500 people.

Iowa Central Community College, based in Fort Dodge with additional campuses in Webster City and Storm Lake and career academies in Eagle Grove, Jefferson and Laurens, employs more than 500 full and part-time faculty and staff across the nine-county region. The institution has an impact that reaches far beyond the classroom with 1 out of every 27 jobs in the college’s nine-county service region impacted by Iowa Central’s activities, students or graduates.

Winners of top workplace recognition are determined through a third-party, employee survey conducted by employee engagement technology partner Energage LLC. The anonymous employee survey uniquely measures 15 culture drivers that are critical to the success of any organization including alignment, execution, connection, and more. More than 2,000 Iowa businesses and organizations were invited to survey their employees in 2023. Of those, just 148 earned designations as an Iowa Top Workplace.

Dr. Jesse Ulrich, president of Iowa Central Community College says the recognition is a testament to the workplace environment the campus has created.

“We have a great faculty and staff,” said Ulrich. “This is a reflection of the culture we have built here.”

“The entire team is dedicated to making our workplace great,” said Dr. Stacy Mentzer, vice president of instruction. “The commitment we have to each other, and our students is unmatched by many. Iowa Central Community College is indeed an amazing place to work.”

“Being recognized as a Top Workplace is an incredible honor that demonstrates Iowa Central’s commitment to creating a culture that fosters employee success and well-being,” said Stacy Ihrig, vice president of human resources. “We are incredibly grateful to win two years in a row. Our employees make this happen; bringing passion, loyalty, and celebration to campus every day.”

Iowa Central serves Area V which includes communities in Buena Vista, Calhoun, Greene, Hamilton, Humboldt, Pocahontas, Sac, Webster and Wright counties in North Central Iowa.