Longtime Winneshiek Medical Center Board of Trustees member, Roger Huinker, attended his final meeting on Wednesday, May 4, 2022.
Huinker joined the Board in 2005, just as WMC signed the Management Services Agreement and Professional Services Agreement with Mayo Clinic Health System. He says, “One of the most interesting transitions in the early years of being on the board was adapting to our new affiliation with Mayo Clinic Health System.” Over the years, Huinker has seen net patient revenues grow from $31 million in 2006 to nearly $68 million currently. Additionally, the workforce has grown from 380 employees in 2006 to nearly 480 employees in 2022. “As a board member, I saw WMC becoming more of a regional medical center that is providing excellent care through our partnering with our own staff and Mayo Clinic Health System,” he says.
Winneshiek Medical Center is owned by the citizens of Winneshiek County and is governed by an elected Board of Trustees. Seven members serve on the board and elections are held every four years with staggering terms. In addition to Huinker, who currently serves as Secretary/Treasurer of the Board, members include: Clark Goltz, Chair; Karen McLean, Vice-Chair; Steve Hildebrandt, Karl Jacobsen, Tim Schweizer and Lora Friest.
Clark Goltz, chair, says, “Roger Huinker is one of those individuals who has made a real positive difference in his role as a member of Winneshiek Medical Center’s Board of Trustees. His seventeen years of dedicated service speak to his commitment to not only the hospital, but to his efforts to make this part of the world a better place to live. Martin Luther King said, ‘Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: what are you doing for others?’ We are grateful that Roger answered that question through his work as a member of the WMC Board of Trustees.”
New Appointee
To complete Huinker’s term, which expires in December of 2022, the Board has appointed Justin Gullekson. Gullekson is a long-time Winneshiek County resident and is the Decorah Market President for Decorah Bank & Trust Company. He and his wife, Jeanne, have five children.
Gullekson has a history of service to our region. He currently serves as Treasurer of the WMC Foundation Board and on the Board of Directors for the Decorah Community Free Clinic. His past volunteer experience includes President of the WMC Foundation, Vesterheim Museum Board of Directors, and co-chairperson of Decorah High School’s successful bond issue campaign. He says, “Our family makes an effort to help out with various community endeavors, and I’m happy to be asked to serve with the medical center.” He adds, “I hope that my financial background and knowledge will be useful to WMC. I look forward to working with the great folks on the Board of Trustees and at WMC. Roger will be a tough act to follow.”
The slot opened up by Huinker and temporarily filled by Gullekson will be on the ballot in November 2022.
A bunion is a common condition of the foot where there is misalignment that forms at the base of the big toe. The skin over a bunion can become red and sore, and there can be pain with activity, including even simple activity like wearing a shoe.
According to Mayo Clinic, it is estimated that up to 30% of the population will develop bunions. Some bunions will never cause any problems, while others may result in painful or irritating symptoms. Cosmetically, bunions may prevent people from wearing fashionable shoes like high heels or boots due to the tightfitting or narrow nature of those shoes.
Thomas Marquardt, D.P.M., Mayo Clinic Health System podiatrist at Winneshiek Medical Center, is now offering a new treatment for bunions. Called Lapiplasty ®3D Bunion Correction, this procedure stabilizes the bottom toe joint to correct the alignment without surgically cutting the bone.
He says “For years, 2D osteotomy (or bunion surgery) was the best way to correct severe bunions. The procedure consisted of straightening the big toe by removing part of the bone. Most patients responded well to this treatment, but recovery took a long time and symptoms did not always completely go away. The new 3D procedure is less invasive, has a greater success rate and has a much shorter recovery time.”
The new technology uses a titanium plate to secure the joint in three locations to correct the misalignment. The titanium plate remains on the joint to prevent it from drifting back out of alignment. Most patients are able to put weight on their foot within days after surgery, and once recovered, can wear their desired shoes without limitations.
Dr. Marquardt says, “Following a full recovery using the 3D bunion technology, most patients can return to their normal practices, including activities and shoe choice.”
If you have questions about bunions, or are interested in learning more about Lapiplasty ®3D Bunion Correction at Winneshiek Medical Center, call Dr. Marquardt for an appointment at 563-382-2911.
Sinusitis is inflammation of the sinus lining that is caused by a bacterial infection and commonly called a sinus infection. Your doctor may recommend saline nasal sprays, antibiotics, nasal steroid sprays, decongestants and over‐the‐counter pain relievers to help relieve the condition.
However, if you experience symptoms for longer than 12 weeks you could have chronic sinusitis.
Balloon Sinuplasty is a pioneering minimally-invasive breakthrough procedure that relieves the pain and pressure associated with chronic sinusitis or chronic sinus blockage. Similar to how angioplasty uses balloons to open blocked arteries, Balloon Sinuplasty, a system of FDA‐cleared, catheter‐based instruments, opens blocked sinuses.
The procedure is less invasive than traditional sinus surgery. It allows most patients to return to normal activities quickly.
New 3D Navigation Technology to enhance Balloon Sinuplasty at WMC
Winneshiek Medical Center recently purchased special navigation technology (TruDi® Navigation Technology) to further enhance endoscopic sinus surgery and the Balloon Sinuplasty procedure performed at WMC.
Mayo Clinic Health System Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Surgeon William Remington, M.D. performs endoscopic sinus surgery and Balloon Sinuplasty procedures at Winneshiek Medical Center. He says, “When using the new navigation technology during the sinus surgery procedure, I can track and display the real-time location of instruments relative to the patient’s (pre-acquired) CT images. Through precise identification of the instrument’s tip location and orientation, this can improve my understanding of the location and orientation of the guidewire or instrument in the complex anatomy of the patient’s sinuses.”
Dr. Remington adds, “The more accurate I can be performing sinus surgery, the better the results are for the patient, both for recovery and for the long-term effectiveness in relieving sinusitis.” To make an appointment with Dr. Remington, call Winneshiek Medical Center at 563-382-2911. To learn more about Balloon Sinuplasty, visit www.winmedical.org/balloon-sinuplasty.
Meghan and Ryan Harrod from Cresco, IA welcomed their first born, Treyton, in 2019 at Winneshiek Medical Center with Andy Goodner, M.D., Mayo Clinic Health System family medicine and obstetrics physician. When they found out they were expecting again they knew they wanted to see Dr. Goodner. Meghan shares, “Dr. Goodner and the OB team were so accommodating when we delivered Treyton. They made sure I was as comfortable as possible, and provided great care.”
On the evening of December 14, 2021, the Harrod’s left home for an induction with their second child. When they had arrived at Winneshiek Medical Center it was evident the organization was preparing for the predicted wind storm about to impact the area the following morning. Meghan says, “Connie (Klimesh), obstetrics nurse at WMC, brought in flashlights to the labor room in case things got as bad as they had expected.” As Meghan’s labor progressed, so did the weather.
The OB team moved Meghan and Ryan to a tornado save room for safety precautions. Once Meghan was settled, the anesthetist came to provide her with an epidural. “I knew I wanted an epidural, but I was nervous. When I received my first epidural during my pervious delivery, my blood pressure had dropped slightly,” says Meghan. “However, I explained the situation to the provider and was reassured with their familiarity of those types of situations. Prior to getting my epidural this time around, I was happy to have my nerves put at ease.”
While things were progressing with Meghan’s labor the nurses were doing their best to keep her distracted by offering baby name ideas. “One nurse even mentioned to me the name Gus because it was going to be “gusty” outside. It was fun to laugh and joke around with them,” says Meghan. “To be honest, Ryan and I wouldn’t have known the weather was bad if it wasn’t for the overhead announcements happening because everyone’s focus was on us and providing a safe delivery for Kal.”
Meghan and Ryan Harrod with their sons Treyton and Kalvin. When they found out they were expecting their second child they knew they wanted to see Dr. Goodner.
Meghan and Ryan welcomed their second son, Kalvin into their family. Meghan shares, “soon after delivery Kalvin was placed on my chest, and just like that the power went out for about two minutes before the generators turned on.” Following the delivery, the Harrod family remained in the labor room for some time for safety reasons due to the power outage. “It’s our goal to provide a secure, safe and comfortable environment for mothers and babies before, during, and after delivery,” shares Brianne Leikvold, RN, nursing director for obstetrics at Winneshiek Medical Center.
Once it was safe Meghan, Ryan, and baby Kal were transferred to their postpartum room, and provided a snack from the nutrition services team. “The kitchen didn’t have power because of the storm, but they made sure to take care of us to the best of their ability,” comments Meghan. “Once the power was restored throughout the facility the meals were satisfactory!”
“Dr. Goodner checked on Kal and I routinely to make sure the wind storm didn’t cause added anxiety or nervousness to either of us. It’s nice to have access to a rural hospital that cares so deeply for their patients,” says Meghan.
“It’s important to me that my patients feel comfortable and safe during their postpartum stay, shares Dr. Goodner. “Welcoming a newborn into the world brings on a whole new level of emotions, so connecting with my patients frequently to assess their needs has always been a top priority for me.”
At Winneshiek Medical Center, birthing is special and personal. Our team of Mayo Clinic Health System physicians, plus one midwife, works alongside our specialized obstetric nurses to provide an unparalleled experience for families. Our providers deliver over 90 percent of their own prenatal patients, a reassuring statistic you may not find in larger facilities. To make an appointment for prenatal care at Winneshiek Medical Center call 563-382-2911.
Winneshiek Medical Center Decorah Clinic Audiology is pleased to provide patients donated hearing aids who qualify through the clinic assistance program. “This has benefited patients who otherwise would be unable to get hearing aids,” shares Cynthia See, Au.D., Mayo Clinic Health System audiologist at WMC Decorah Clinic
The program allows anyone to donate any brand of used hearing aids that are in good condition to be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, and then reused for patients in need. “Patients appreciate the program because it truly changes their quality of life,” shares Dr. See.
If you’re interested in donating used hearing aids or want to support the program with a monetary donation contact Winneshiek Medical Center Foundation. You may request a tax-deductible donation receipt if you choose. “We’re pleased offer this program to the patients we serve,” says Holly Kanengeiter, WMC Foundation coordinator. “It’s another way we can address the health needs of our community and support those patients who are dealing with hearing loss.”
Winneshiek Medical Center Audiology specializes in evaluating and treating patients with hearing loss. In addition to fitting hearing aids, Dr. See can help with concerns about hearing, ringing of the ears, dizziness, ear fullness, and ear drainage. For more information visit: Winneshiek Medical Center – Audiology.
The drive home from Christmas break changed the course of Calista Brockman’s junior year at Upper Iowa University. Just 10 short minutes away from Fayette, Calista lost control of her vehicle on slippery roads and slid in the ditch. Although her car was damaged, Calista did not have any noticeable injuries and was able to end her night without an emergency room visit.
However, within a few days, Calista noticed dizziness and balance issues. A softball player for UIU, she spoke to her athletic trainer about it who referred her to Emily Connor, M.D., Mayo Clinic Health System orthopedic surgeon at Winneshiek Medical Center. Calista says, “Dr. Connor saw me in the UIU training room the next day, which was really convenient since my car was no longer drivable. She is one of our team physicians and her specialty is orthopedic surgery. Dr. Connor thought I had a concussion but wanted someone familiar with concussion care to confirm and follow my recovery.”
A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that affects brain function and is usually caused by a blow to the head or violent shaking of the head and/or upper body. Symptoms of concussion may include, but are not limited to:
Headache
Temporary loss of consciousness
Confusion
Dizziness
Nausea
Fatigue
Change in mood or behavior
Sensitivity to light and sound
Scott Bohner, D.O., Mayo Clinic Health System family medicine physician at Winneshiek Medical Center has been treating patients with concussion symptoms for the past 13 years. In July of 2017, Dr. Bohner furthered his education and obtained his Credentialed ImPACT Consultant (CIC) certification to provide ongoing concussion care to athletes in the region. Dr. Bohner says, “Dr. Connor referred Calista to me and I met with her at Winneshiek Medical Center’s Upper Iowa Clinic on their campus. Through our visit, it was clear she had a concussion. Her best course of treatment was to rest to allow her brain to heal, and to work with physical therapy to address the dizziness and balance issues she was experiencing.”
Calista was out of softball for about one month as she recovered. Her physical therapy sessions and follow up medical visits were held at UIU and in Decorah. She says, “Winneshiek Medical Center manages all our health services on campus, including athletics, so it was coordinated to meet my schedule. I was even given the cell phone numbers of my health care providers in case I needed anything during my recovery.” Upon her completion of physical therapy, Calista was cleared to go back to practice, and within a few weeks, the team was off to Florida for a tournament. Calista, who covers some third base, but mostly hits, was able to play with her team. Calista says, “I’m thankful for the care I received at college. The doctors, therapist and trainer became my team while I recovered, and it is great to be back on the softball field!”
Luther College graduating senior Nora Nyi Myint of Yangon, Myanmar (Burma) received the college’s Elizabeth A. and Paul G. Jenson Medal for the class of 2022. The announcement was made during the Commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 22.
“I am truly humbled to learn that I won the Jenson Medal,” said Nyi Myint. “I believe I am just one of the many voices in our class that did everything in their power to help make Luther a place where we can feel like we belong, are nurtured and can grow. I worked tirelessly to give back to the Luther community as a form of gratitude for all the opportunities that have been given to me, and my heart soars knowing that some of my work helped and touched the hearts of my classmates.”
Luther’s Elizabeth A. and Paul G. Jenson Medal is presented each year to an outstanding senior, selected by the graduating class, who best demonstrates the ideals of the college through service to students and the college community. Established through an endowment gift from Luther alumni Paul ’48 and Elizabeth (Dybdal) Jenson ’49 of Vassalboro, Maine, the Jenson Medal supports Luther College’s mission of service.
Nyi Myint served as the lead career peer advisor at the Luther Career Center and lead outreach specialist at the Luther College Counseling Service. She was the president of the Model United Nations Club and Intersectional Feminist Club and she represented Luther as the college ambassador to the Iowa United Nations Association in 2021.
During her introduction of Nyi Myint at the Commencement ceremony, Ashley Benson, dean of student engagement, said, “Nora regularly served as an outspoken voice within the Luther community, such as when she served as a panelist at the Center for Ethics and Public Engagement’s Pop-up Panel: Tell Me about Myanmar, highlighting how the 2021 military coup in Myanmar impacted four Luther students and their home country. On top of all the hardships that an undergrad student faces, she was serving her country by being a human rights activist as part of Sisters 2 Sisters Myanmar, a civil society organization that raises awareness and alleviates gender-based violence perpetrated by the Myanmar military, and worrying about what it means for her ability to return home. Despite this, Nora is finishing her time at Luther with a cumulative GPA of 3.9 to prove that you can persevere through adversity.”
Nyi Myint rounded out her time at Luther by taking part in the Washington Semester program where she interned as the program assistant at the Public Leadership and Education Network (PLEN), a nonprofit organization that empowers, educates and engages women and marginalized gender groups in the public policy arena. She is a recipient of the 2021 Kuh Family Positively Luther Award and the Lynn Arthur and Mary Frost Steen Fellowship.
“As I reflect on my time at Luther, my heart is full of gratitude for the endless support and inspiration I received from faculty, staff and my peers to pursue my dreams. I was able to share my light with others when they were burned out by the many adversities we face in this world today, and when the time came that I was burned out, plenty of people in the Luther community stepped up to ignite a flame in me that inspired me to do good, move forward and fight on for peace, justice and love. I will always treasure this experience and carry this priceless sense of community with me as I go on to serve the world to the best of my capabilities as a leader,” said Nyi Myint.
Nyi Myint graduated with degrees in international studies with a peace and dialogue concentration and women and gender studies. In June, she will begin her new role as the program associate for Burma at the International Republican Institute, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that advances freedom and democracy worldwide in Washington, D.C.
“This position means the world to me as someone who wants to help my country, Myanmar, which suffers from political unrest after our democracy has been stripped away from our people due to the military coup in 2021. I am utterly fortunate that I will get to do work perfectly in line with my education and passion.”
About Luther College
Luther College is home to more than 1,800 undergraduates who explore big questions and take action to benefit people, communities and society. Our academic programs, experiential approach to learning and welcoming community inspire students to learn actively, live purposefully and lead courageously for a lifetime of impact. Learn more at luther.edu.
Friday 7/8 11:00 am in Decorah Public Library’s Upper Mezzanine
Get up close and personal with 100 species of our multi-legged friends, beetles, millipedes, walking sticks, roaches, scorpions, tarantulas and more! Learn all about why these animals are important for our environment with the help of our knowledgeable Insect Zoo staff. Ask questions about the animals on display and get a chance to touch millipedes, beetles, walking sticks and more! Families are invited to come out for a fun, hand-on, interactive display. Walk through, look, and ask questions at your own pace. Registration Required. See out Calendar of Events to register.
Sponsored by the Friends of Decorah Public Library and the Marion E. Jerome Foundation.
Decorah Public Library staff are hosting nine book discussions in June. The groups are open to the public and newcomers are encouraged to attend. Anyone interested should call the library at 382-3717 to learn more or to reserve a book. Zoom links are available on the Library’s website or you can email ktorresdal@decorahlibrary.org to be added to any of the groups’ email distribution lists. Funds for multiple copy sets were generously provided by Friends of Decorah Public Library.
For more information, contact Tricia Crary (Friday Book Group), Zach Row-Heyveld (Cookbook, Quick Bites Groups and Troubled Water) or Kristin Torresdal (Happy Hour, History, and Speculative Fiction Book Groups) at 563-382-3717.
Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World
Join facilitator Jim Martin-Schramm, chair of the Decorah Sustainability Commission, for a discussion of Katharine Hayhoe’s book “Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World” at 6 p.m. on June 7 and 14 at Pulpit Rock Brewery. Books are currently available for checkout at Decorah Public Library, thanks to the generous support of the Luther College Center for Sustainable Communities. “Saving Us” is focused less on doomsday facts and figures and more on how everyone can play a role in shaping attitudes towards climate change through our conversations with skeptical friends and family members. Hayhoe argues for collective action through shared values instead of relying solely on facts about our changing climate.
The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot
The Happy Hour Book Group will hold a hybrid meeting Wed. June 8 at 5:15 p.m. to discuss Marianne Cronin’s “The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot.” In-person attendees will meet in the lower-level public meeting room at the library and digital attendees will join via Zoom. Life is short. No one knows that better than seventeen-year-old Lenni living on the terminal ward. Dodging doctor’s orders, she joins an art class where she bumps into fellow patient Margot, a rebel-hearted eighty-three-year-old from the next ward. Their bond is instant as they realize that together they have lived an astonishing one hundred years. To celebrate their shared century, they decide to paint their life stories: of growing old and staying young, of giving joy, of receiving kindness, of losing love, and of finding the person who is everything.
Ottolenghi Flavor
The Cookbook Group will meet in person on Thursday, June 9 at 6:30 in the lower-level meeting room at the library to discuss Yotam Ottolenghi’s “Ottolenghi Flavor.”In this groundbreaking cookbook, Yotam Ottolenghi and IxtaBelfrage offer a next-level approach to vegetables that breaks down the fundamentals of cooking into three key elements: process, pairing, and produce. For process, Yotam and Ixta show how easy techniques such as charring and infusing can change the way you think about cooking. Discover how to unlock new depths of flavor by pairing vegetables with sweetness, fat, acidity, or chile heat, and learn to identify the produce that has the innate ability to make dishes shine.
Brownies & Back When We Talked to the Dead
The Quick Bites group will hold a hybrid meeting on Tuesday, June 14 from 12:15 – 1:00 to discuss ZZ Packer’s “Brownies” and Mariana Enriquez’s “Back When We Talked to the Dead.” Both stories explore how groups experience and shape collective trauma, through the lens of teen and preteen girls. In “Brownies” a Brownie troop with only black girls plan an attack on an all-white troop after hearing one of them use a racial slur. “Back When We Talk to the Dead” focuses on four girls living in and around Buenos Aires who turn to a Ouija board to connect with family members who have been “disappeared” during Argentina’s military dictatorship in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In person attendees can join from the lower-level meeting room at the library. Links to materials are on the Decorah Public Library website.
The Cause: The American Revolution and its Discontents, 1773-1783
The History Book Group will hold a hybrid meeting Thurs. June 16at 3:00 p.m. to discuss Joseph J. Ellis’ “The Cause: The American Revolution and its Discontents, 1773-1783.”In-person attendees will meet in the lower-level public meeting room at the library and digital attendees will join via Zoom.For more than two centuries, historians have debated the history of the American Revolution, disputing its roots, its provenance, and above all, its meaning. These questions have intrigued Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Joseph J. Ellisthroughout his entire career. From the end of the Seven Years’ War to 1783, “The Cause” interweaves action-packed tales of North American military campaigns with parlor-room intrigues back in England, creating a narrative that brings together a cast of familiar and long-forgotten characters: British and American, loyalist and patriot, white and Black.
Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love
The Friday Book Group will hold a hybrid meeting Fri. June 17 at 2:00 p.m. to discuss Dani Shapiro’s “Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love.” In-person attendees will meet in the lower-level public meeting room at the library and digital attendees will join via Zoom.In the spring of 2016, through a genealogy website to which she had whimsically submitted her DNA for analysis, Dani Shapiro received the stunning news that her father was not her biological father. She woke up one morning and her entire historycrumbled beneath her.“Inheritance” is a book about secrets—secrets within families, kept out of shame or self-protectiveness—and it is the story of a woman’s urgent quest to unlock the story of her own identity, a story that has been scrupulously hidden from her for more than fifty years.
Railsea
The Speculative Fiction Book Group will meet via Zoom Wed. June 22 at 5:15 p.m. to discuss China Mieville’s “Railsea.” On board the moletrain“Medes,” Sham Yes ap Soorap watches in awe as he witnesses his first moldywarpe hunt: the giant mole bursting from the earth, the harpoonists targeting their prey, the battle resulting in one’s death and the other’s glory. But no matter how spectacular it is, Sham can’t shake the sense that there is more to life than traveling the endless rails of the railsea, even if his captain can think only of the hunt for the ivory-coloured mole she’s been chasing since it took her arm all those years ago. When they come across a wrecked train, Sham finds in the derelicta series of pictures hinting at something, somewhere, that should be impossible—and it leads to farmore than he’d bargained for.
The Prom Terrorists & The Paper Menagerie
The Quick Bites group will hold a hybrid meeting on Tuesday, June 28 from 12:15 – 1:00 to discuss “The Prom Terrorists” by RabihAlameddine and “The Paper Menagerie” by Ken Liu. While tonally these two stories share little in common, they both feature narrators who are the children of immigrants and explore immigration, assimilation, prejudice, and cultural expectations. “The Prom Terrorists” is the story of a hapless, not-too-bright, 28 year old who still lives with his parents and is recruited by the FBI to infiltrate the local mosque to find out what the new imam is planning (despite not being Muslim or speaking Arabic.) “The Paper Menagerie” tells the story of a son’s relationship with his Chinese mother who can breathe life into origami animals and won the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Awards when it was published in 2011. In person attendees can join from the lower-level meeting room at the library. Links to materials are available on the Decorah Public Library’s website.
President Jenifer K. Ward has announced the appointment of Dr. Robert E. Clay as chief equity and inclusion officer and assistant to the president for community engagement at Luther College. Beginning in August, Clay will oversee the Center for Intercultural Engagement and Support and will serve as a strategic partner and advisor to students, faculty and staff on matters related to diversity, equity, inclusion and community engagement.
“Luther College’s work toward a more inclusive and equitable community began well before I arrived, and Dr. Clay will help us build upon the momentum of ongoing initiatives to craft and refine a comprehensive strategy for diversity, equity and inclusive excellence,” said Ward. “As someone who was educated at a residential liberal arts college–Olivet College in Michigan, Dr. Clay values and takes into account our history, and will also challenge us to move beyond immediate interests and present knowledge into a larger world, as our mission calls us to do. This project is at the heart of Clay’s work and he will find willing and eager partners here at Luther.”
“It is an honor to be named the CEIO at Luther College,” said Clay. “I’m most excited about building upon the rich heritage of Luther College by developing innovative practices, policies, procedures and programs utilizing best practices through an equity-mindedness lens that will help further the college’s mission. I look forward to working collaboratively with faculty, staff and students, as well as alumni and community members, to create an inclusive community on campus and throughout Decorah.”
Clay comes to Luther from Governors State University in University Park, Illinois, where he has been employed since 2014. Most recently, he served as the executive director of the Center for Student Engagement and Intercultural Programs. In that role, he implemented integrated learning experiences and civic engagement initiatives supporting diverse cultures, including the Male Success Initiative, the annual MLK Day of Service, and a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. While at GSU, Clay also oversaw intercultural education and served on the Campus Inclusion Team and the Retention 2 Graduation Team.
Prior to his work at GSU, Clay was the director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs at Xavier University in Cincinnati, where he developed the Multicultural Enrollment Management Group to assess and create strategies to enhance recruitment and retention of multicultural students.
Clay also worked on equity and inclusion initiatives at Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, and continues to serve as a nationally sought after consultant and speaker on student success, equity, inclusion, and community engagement.
About Luther College
Luther College is home to about 1,800 undergraduates who explore big questions and take action to benefit people, communities and society. Our academic programs, experiential approach to learning, and welcoming community inspire students to learn actively, live purposefully, and lead courageously for a lifetime of impact. Learn more at luther.edu.
