Iowa State alumna Mary Jo Banwart has traded in her position with the Iowa State Alumni Association for a cookie.

Banwart recently resigned her position with the Alumni Association to open another outlet for her family business, Cookies, Etc., at North Grand Mall.

Banwart graduated from Iowa State with a degree in physical education. She has been at the university for 14 years in several areas of the campus, beginning in the Student Financial Aid Office and ending as the university’s director of Alumni Recruitment Programs.

“I’ve resigned to do this full time,” Banwart said, referring to her work with the newest Cookies, Etc. venture.

Cookies, Etc. began as a “family project,” Banwart said. “It’s a recipe we grew up on as kids, one our mom came up with.”

The business began with a store in Iowa City. Since then, other stores opened in Mason City, Marshalltown and, now, Ames.

“We think it’ll be [a] great [location], with the students. A lot of other communities come here to shop. There’s a lot of traffic in North Grand Mall. We feel we’ll get a lot of visibility there,” Banwart said.

Banwart said she enjoyed seeing the finished project and serving the community the most.

“It’s fun to see a project through from beginning to end and working with your staff to provide consistent, quality service,” Banwart said.

Banwart also said Midwest Living magazine recognized Cookies, Etc. as the “best commercial cookie in the Midwest.”

“It was really nice because it was a customer-based award. It wasn’t something we applied for,” she said.

Banwart’s store will sell a variety of large and small cookies, muffins, rolls and beverages such as flavored coffees. The store will take special orders for items like gift tins or parties and will offer a mail order program for customers who would like to send cookies.

Cookies, Etc. is expected to open this April.