Iowa Board of Regents President Sherry Bates announced she will resign from the Board effective Thursday. Board President Pro Tem Greta Rouse will also step down from her leadership role but will continue serving as a Regent through the end of her term in 2027, according to the Board.
“I have been fortunate to serve on the Board for nearly 11 years,” Bates said. “I want to thank Governors Reynolds and Branstad for giving me the opportunity to serve Iowa. I have worked with outstanding fellow Regents, Board staff and university employees, and together we have accomplished so much.”
Rouse said stepping down from leadership will allow her to focus on family while remaining on the Board.
“Leadership requires a significant time commitment,” Rouse said. “With our children still young, I want to prioritize family while supporting the important work of Iowa’s universities, which inspire students, drive the economy, advance research and enrich communities.”
Bates was appointed to the Board in 2014 and reappointed in 2017 and 2023. She served as president pro tem in 2021, became interim president in 2024 and was elected president later that year. Her term was scheduled to expire in 2029.
Rouse previously served on the Board as an undergraduate and graduate student from 2008 to 2012 under her maiden name, Greta Johnson. She was reappointed by Reynolds in 2021 and elected president pro tem in February 2024.
“It’s time for me to step back, spend more time with my family, and let the next generation of Regents continue this work. Iowa, Iowa State and UNI are among the nation’s top public universities, and I look forward to seeing them grow and excel,” Bates said.
The Board held a special meeting Wednesday to elect new leadership. Robert Cramer was elected Board president and will assume the role Thursday, serving through April 30, 2026. Kurt Tjaden was elected president pro tem for a term ending on the same date.
Cramer, a 1990 Iowa State construction engineering graduate, is a longtime construction and land development executive.
Tjaden, an Iowa State accounting graduate and former HNI Corporation executive, has held multiple campus leadership and advisory roles.
Following the leadership vote, Cramer acknowledged Bates’ service.
“She served on the board with grace, understanding and humility and caring towards all she worked with and for. And always being present with a smile and kind words,” Cramer said.
During the meeting, the Board approved the site-development lease plan for CYTown, a mixed-use development at Iowa State University that includes retail, office space, housing, a medical clinic and an entertainment venue.
The Board also approved a request to designate Wendy Wintersteen as president emerita of Iowa State University upon her retirement.
“This is a well-deserved honor for President Wintersteen, and it would take effect on Jan. 2, 2026, upon her retirement,” Rachel Boon, chief academic officer, said.
