President Gregory Geoffroy announced his decision to resign from his post as President of Iowa State University on Friday. He is coming up on his 10-year anniversary as president but has decided to step down in order to spend more time with his family.

Geoffroy has been an influential individual for the university and for education in the state and has established a strong legacy at Iowa State.

“I know that the university will miss his leadership, and I believe the state of Iowa will miss his leadership,” said Benjamin Allen, president of the University of Northern Iowa. “As a person that views him as a friend and mentor, I will miss him as a colleague because I’ve depended on his input for the past few years. It’s a great loss for Iowa State and the state of Iowa.”

Many of his colleagues recognize Geoffroy’s contribution to education and his unparalleled dedication to the university. He has been an active proponent for students and has worked diligently with the Iowa Board of Regents to ensure the quality of education at state universities continues despite the budget crunch.

“He’s someone that I have grown to really rely upon when we have challenging decisions to make,” said David Miles, President of the Iowa Board of Regents. “That’s something that I will miss very much. I think he’s made a lasting impression.”

Aside from his exceedingly successful fundraising campaign, Geoffroy has established a relationship with the students that is widely acclaimed by both administrators and students here at Iowa State.

“I definitely respect his decision from a student leader’s perspective,” said GSB president Luke Rolling. “I definitely enjoyed working with him. He’s always been very open to student input. I always felt that he did a very good job of getting the student experience at the center of all the tradition the university makes.”

Geoffrey has emphasized the importance of the students and has shifted lots of focus to recruitment and in fact has doubled the university’s endowment and set records for student enrollment during his incumbency as president, according to Regents president Miles.

Although he will be missed by many, they can still appreciate his work and celebrate his successes as president.

“President Geoffrey has provided stellar leadership for Iowa State University for a decade, and I wish him all the best in retirement,” said President of the University of Iowa Sally Mason in a written statement. “I know how challenging these jobs can be, and his steady hand and level head have steered the university through some exceedingly challenging times and always with an eye toward maintaining quality. I hope all Iowans will join me in celebrating his accomplishments and thanking him for his outstanding service.”

Although there has been no indication as to who will be selected as his successor, President Miles did cite a few of the qualities the Board of Regents will be looking for. Some of those qualities are proven success in a senior-level position at another university, a vision for the future, understands all of the challenges facing universities and strong leadership and understanding of higher education.

Miles later said that Iowa State “is an attractive place for a president who wants to accomplish things,” and looks forward to finding a great replacement and working with Geoffroy for his remaining months as president.