Andrea Talentino has been president of Augustana College for just over two years. While she said her predecessor Steven Bahls provided a great foundation for her tenure as president, it’s clear that she is leading the 2,500-student institution in a prudent and conscientious manner. That’s something that students, alumni and the region should appreciate.
It is refreshing to learn about an institution of higher education that is doing just fine with its enrollment and financial health especially when so many are struggling or seemingly on their last legs.
Ms. Talentino recently shared part of their recipe for success with the QCBJ. First, Augustana strives to have a surplus budget or at the very least a balanced budget. Secondly, its endowment has been performing well. Thirdly, it has a 10-year plan, which is one of the most forward-thinking in higher education, and it enables them to handle year-to-year challenges. Lastly, it has a low debt load.
There’s nothing revolutionary about that recipe, but it’s clear that many other institutions of higher education could learn a lot from Augustana’s approach.
In addition to that recipe, Ms. Talentino is focused on turning students into impactful citizens committed to their communities while keenly understanding that student recruitment is the No. 1 challenge for any institution of higher education.
And Augustana is intent on being a great leader in Rock Island by creating community partnerships and even a novel community development corporation to drive even more community collaborations.
We appreciate Ms. Talentino’s leadership and the important role that Augustana plays in the Quad Cities region.
RIP: William ‘Bill’ Tubbs
We were saddened to learn that William “Bill” Tubbs, one of Eastern Iowa’s most tenured newspapermen and devoted Rotarian, died on Friday, Sept. 20, at the University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison. He was 75.
Mr. Tubbs and his wife, Linda, were the owners of the North Scott Press since 1971 and community leaders. He later became owner of the Advocate News and the West Liberty Index newspapers.vocate News and the West Liberty Index newspapers.
They sold the newspaper group in August of 2022 to businessman J. Louis “Louie” Mullen. When the paper was sold, Linda Tubbs retired, while Mr. Tubbs continued submitting his column “Impressions” and was listed as Publisher Emeritus on the staff. That column has appeared in the North Scott Press since 1971.
“His impact on the community began with his earliest days at the Press. Because part of his job was to improve circulation and ad revenue, he immediately went to work gaining the trust of the community,” said Erin Gentz, editor of The North Scott Press, in an emailed comment to the QCBJ.
“He was a charter member of his church in 1972, and was a charter member of North Scott Rotary in 1973. Locally, he was on many committees, including one that led to the formation of the Eldridge Community Center and Skatepark in the 1980s.”
