Dr. Jesse Ulrich hired as 6th President of Iowa Central
by Iowa Central Information
Posted on 5/10/2021
The Iowa Central Community College Board of Directors announces Dr. Jesse Ulrich will serve as the College’s next president. Dr. Ulrich, an Iowa Central graduate and member of the College’s 2019 Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame, will begin his role on July 1, 2021. Dr. Ulrich will be the sixth president of the College. He shares Iowa Central’s deep-rooted belief and commitment to positively impact the economic, social, and cultural opportunities of students. In addition to administrative experience, Dr. Ulrich brings to the College a proven history of building partnerships, implementing student-centered initiatives, and collaboratively leading teams through consensus and empowerment to accomplish goals.
Dr. Ulrich earned his Associate of Arts degree from Iowa Central before pursing his Bachelor of Arts degree from Buena Vista University. He continued his education at Iowa State University (ISU) and obtained his Master’s of Education Degree in Educational Leadership. He then earned his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership at ISU. Additionally, Dr. Ulrich holds a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Educational Administration (Superintendent Licensure) from Iowa State University.
Dr. Ulrich has served as Superintendent of Schools for Fort Dodge, AHSTW (Avoca, IA), and Graettinger-Terril Community School Districts. His collaborative and relational leadership, along with his consensus-building skills, were the catalyst to leading over $20 million dollars of capital projects and three successful public referendums. Thriving on innovation and a drive to elevate student academic excellence, Dr. Ulrich leveraged his ability to instill trust and worked with stakeholders and the Fort Dodge School Board to implement a grade realignment to improve the systematic approach to teaching and learning. Through effective consensus building, communication and building a community coalition of support, he led the AHSTW district in developing a long-range facility plan to meet the growing population of students within the district as well as leading the districts through a whole-grade sharing agreement. Prior to his Superintendent roles, he served as Principal at Graettinger-Terril Community School District from July 2009 through June 2013. At Dallas Center-Grimes he held the positions of Student Services Coordinator, 7th Grade Social Studies Teacher, and High School Social Science Teacher.
Since August 2019, he has been an adjunct instructor at Northwestern College in Orange City, IA. Dr. Ulrich inspires his passion for teaching, learning, and leadership into his students. Being an instructor at a higher education institution provides him perspective on how decisions impact the classroom and to effectively educate students.
Passionate about community involvement, Dr. Ulrich is a member of Rotary International Club and a Board of Director for the NAACP in Fort Dodge. Dr. Ulrich also serves on Advisory Boards for both Buena Vista University and Iowa State University to provide feedback on the preparedness of their future teachers. His work with the School Administrators of Iowa has been extensive including currently serving as a member of the Legislative Advocacy Committee, serving on their Executive Committee from 2016-2018, and serving as the District 3 President in 2011.
Dr. Ulrich and his wife Amy are the parents of four children. Together they enjoy spending time outdoors, golfing, being active with their children’s activities, and cheering on their favorite sports teams including the Iowa Central Tritons, Chicago Bears and the Cubs.
The coaches inspire me every day, not just to be a good dancer, but to be a better person, teammate, captain, and student. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else other than Iowa Central.
