November 11, 2015, Bettendorf, IA - After an extensive international search, Rivermont Collegiate's Board of Trustees is very pleased to announce the appointment of Colin Max Roach as the school's Headmaster, beginning in June 2016. Mr. Roach is an experienced leader and has extensive experience working with independent schools like Rivermont and we believe he has the skills in academic leadership and a track record of success in building enrollment and fundraising that we need in the coming years.

With an administrative career spanning from the elementary through high school levels, Mr. Roach is well suited to lead our PreK-12th grade programs. He is an experienced teacher and understands that all members of an independent school faculty must take on various roles. As an academic administrator, Mr. Roach has been involved in curriculum and program development and faculty development. Mr. Roach's academic passion is Japanese history and the samurai sword's iconography. While his teaching of Japanese martial arts (aikido and iaido) is quite serious, his passion for ukulele and Frisbee reveal his relaxed and approachable nature.

Mr. Roach says, "I am thrilled and humbled to join the Rivermont Collegiate community. I was deeply impressed by the quality of the school's faculty and students. In addition to the programmatic distinctions,the school's culture is one of genuine warmth and palpable commitment to excellence. The charm of the Quad Cities cemented our commitment to join the Rivermont Collegiate community. My wife Alethea and I look forward to serving the school while watching our children grow up among its outstanding students."

Prior to being appointed Headmaster of Rivermont Collegiate, Mr. Roach held various positions at a number of independent schools including Jackson Hole Community School (WY), the Darlington School (GA) and his high school alma mater, Wasatch Academy (UT).

Mr. Roach earned a B.A. from Westminster College (Utah) in education, an ESL teaching endorsement, and Master of Educational management and innovation. In addition, Mr. Roach is a Vanderbilt Peabody Fellow of Independent School Leadership.

Until June of 2016, Mr. Curtis Fee will continue to serve as Interim Headmaster.

The Board of Trustees is grateful to Melissa Sears and members of the search committee for their great work in developing and cultivating a talented pool of applicants from which we were able to select Max Roach as Rivermont's Headmaster.

Rivermont Collegiate is the Quad Cities' only Private College Prep School for PreSchool through 12th Grade. For more information visit: www.RivermontCollegiate.org

Stops included Dubuque Community Schools, Waukee Prairieview School and Cardinal Middle-Senior High School

(DES MOINES)  - Gov. Terry Branstad, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds and Director of Education Ryan Wise continued visiting Iowa school districts last week and this week to get an update on the first year of Iowa's new Teacher Leadership and Compensation System.  Visits included Dubuque Community Schools on Friday, Nov. 6 by Gov. Branstad, Lt. Gov. Reynolds and Director Wise.  Gov. Branstad and Director Wise finished this round of visits at Waukee Prairieview School and Cardinal Middle-Senior High School yesterday.

Iowa's Teacher Leadership and Compensation System is the centerpiece of Iowa's landmark 2013 education reform package. It is being phased in over three years, with an investment of $150 million annually when fully in place in 2016-17.

The two main goals of the most extensive teacher leadership system in the nation are to utilize the expertise of many of our best teachers to improve instruction and raise achievement, and transform the teaching profession to attract and retain more outstanding teachers.  All school districts in Iowa have applied to start teacher leadership systems in 2016-17.

Ceremony at Old State Capitol Recognizes the Top Students from Each College and University in Illinois

SPRINGFIELD - Governor Bruce Rauner today announced this year's outstanding college students who will be honored by the Lincoln Academy of Illinois. The Academy will recognize the following students during the annual Student Laureate Convocation at 11 a.m. Saturday, November 7 at the Old State Capitol in Springfield.

"Civic engagement, as exemplified by President Lincoln, is crucial to our democracy and the process of our government," said Governor Rauner. "The young men and women receiving this recognition today embody the spirit of President Lincoln through their hard work and dedication to their schools and communities."

The Lincoln Academy's Abraham Lincoln Civic Engagement Awards are presented for excellence in curricular and extracurricular activities to seniors from each of the state's four-year, degree-granting colleges and universities, and one student from the community colleges in Illinois.  At the Student Laureate Convocation, each student will receive a Student Laureate Medallion, along with a $1,000 educational grant and a certificate of achievement. This is the 41st year Lincoln Academy has celebrated students' excellence in Illinois.

Student Laureate Cynthia J. Avila of the University of Chicago will speak on behalf of all the Laureates.  The invocation will be delivered by Dr. Stanley R. Liberty, Interim President of Bradley University, and the benediction will be delivered by Eureka College President J. David Arnold.  The Sangamon Woodwind Consort will provide music, and a luncheon at the Abraham Lincoln Hotel will follow the Student Laureate Convocation.

The Lincoln Academy, unique among the 50 states, was established more than 50 years ago to honor distinguished citizens with the state's highest award, the Order of Lincoln.  The 52nd Annual Convocation and Investiture of Laureates of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois will take place Saturday, May 7, 2016 at the historic Marriott Pere Marquette Hotel in Peoria.

STUDENT LAUREATES

School                         Student                                Home Town 

Augustana College                                Aubrey Waddick                        Algonquin, IL

Aurora University                                Sherry A. Maschmeyer                                 Frankfort, IL

Benedictine University                     Dana V. Cairns                                Lombard, IL

Blackburn College                                Sarah Collman                                 New Douglas, IL

Bradley University                                Kristin Kreher                                Smithton, IL

Columbia College - Chicago                           Lance T. Cox                                 Rockford, IL

Concordia University Chicago                     Kayla E. Lohman                                Kirkwood, MO

DePaul University                                Nicole May                                Lemont, IL

Dominican University                                Cutberto Aguayo                                Chicago, IL

Eastern Illinois University                          Shirmeen Ahmad                                 Romeoville, IL

East-West University                                Ghada M. Morrar                                Chicago, IL

Elmhurst College                                Angil J. Tate                                Atlanta, GA

Eureka College                        Michael A. Sain, II                                Reynoldsburg, OH

Governors State University                            Jerry Davis el                                Richton Park, IL

Greenville College                                Nathan Kriebel                                Brookston, IN

Illinois College                                Kavita K. Patel                                Princeton, IL

Illinois Institute of Technology                     Pooja Agarwal                        Chicago, IL

Illinois State University                         Maureen R. Christensen                                Normal, IL

Illinois Wesleyan University                    Nicole M. Jovicevice                                Des Plaines, IL

Judson University                                Ethan R. Adams                                 Springfield, IL

Knox College                                Sophia D. Croll                                Cambridge, MA

Lake Forest College                                Benjamin Labaschin                      Northbrook, IL

Lewis University                     Jessica L. Tennant                        Burr Ridge, IL

Lincoln College                        Cody R. Garretson                      New Holland, IL

Loyola University Chicago                        Ashley Rogers                         Evergreen Park, IL

MacMurray College                        Shannon M. Young                          Carmel, IN

McKendree University                     Kenneth O'Dell Jr.                            Carlyle, IL

Millikin University                     Alexander H. Koulos                         Naperville, IL

Monmouth College                        Drake A. Decker                         Davenport, IA

National Louis University                     Jeanette Kyle                           Chicago, IL

North Central College                        Jack A. Ryan                           Oswego, IL

North Park University                     Carmen Velazquez-Alvarez              Hanford, CA

Northeastern Illinois University               Emily Fioramonti                     Chicago, IL

Northern Illinois University                     Kiranjit Gill                           Palatine, IL

Olivet Nazarene University                     Chelsea Risinger                       Tremont, IL

Principia College                        Shontee M. Pant                           Coppell, TX

Quincy University                     Catherine Richards                       Quincy, IL

Rock Valley College                        Matilyn N. Bindl                          Belvidere, IL

Rockford University                     Angela Martinez                       Rockford, IL

Roosevelt University                     Lacy N. Reyna                          Winterest, IA

St. Xavier University                     Anna E. Goldman                        Eagan, MN

School of the Art Institute of Chicago         Florian Palluci                        Berwyn, IL

Southern Illinois Univ. Carbondale        Savannah L. McCord                         St. Louis, MO

Southern Illinois Univ. Edwardsville      Joshua G. Pritsolas                      Glen Carbon, IL

The University of Chicago                        Cynthia J. Avila                          Chicago, IL

Trinity Christian College                        Halie A. Wisse                          Oostburg, WI

Trinity International University                 Richard J. Davis                          Arlington Heights, IL

University of Illinois Chicago                       Taylor R. Casino                         Champaign, IL

University of Illinois Springfield                    Hannah Cave                           Esmond, IL

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign  Monica S. Chen                           Buffalo Grove, IL

University of St. Francis                        Laura Muñoz Lopez                          Simpsonville, SC

VanderCook College of Music                      Kendall C. Jones                          Lake Villa, IL

Western Illinois University                     Hannah F. Drake                          Charleston, IL

Wheaton College                        Kyle L. Mellinger                      Ladera Ranch, CA

AMES, IA (11/05/2015)(readMedia)-- Kaitlin Clevenger has been elected secretary of the Iowa State University Event Management Club for the 2015-16 academic year. Clevenger, who is from Davenport, Iowa, is a senior studying event management in the College of Human Sciences at Iowa State.

The Event Management Club is for students interested in learning more about the field of event management, which ranges from directing trade shows and conferences to catering and wedding planning.

The Event Management major at Iowa State University is the only four-year accredited program of its kind in the state of Iowa and one of only a few in the Midwest. The program is one of the fastest-growing majors at Iowa State University with more than 450 students. The program is offered by the Department of Apparel, Events, and Hospitality Management in the College of Human Sciences at Iowa State.