Mark Butland, the director of the Iowa EdTech Collaborative (IETC), is joining a higher education institution in San Diego, California and departing the organization after nearly two years. His last day at the IETC will be May 12, six weeks earlier than expected. "Mark’s role was funded by a Federal EDA (Economic Development Administration) grant […]
Mark Butland, the director of the Iowa EdTech Collaborative (IETC), is joining a higher education institution in San Diego, California and departing the organization after nearly two years.
His last day at the IETC will be May 12, six weeks earlier than expected.
"Mark’s role was funded by a Federal EDA (Economic Development Administration) grant that terminates at the end of June," said Tom Banta, Iowa City Area Development Group (ICAD) interim president, in an email to the CBJ. "This was a 24-month commitment from the onset but he found his next opportunity a little sooner than anticipated. It was too good of an opportunity for him to turn down with only six more weeks on his contract so he accepted the role."
He will now join Southwestern College in Chula Vista as the dean of humanities.
"We made amazing progress with the Iowa EdTech Collaborative in the last two years and the important work will continue with Tom Banta," Mr. Butland told the CBJ.
A new director has not been named in his place, and there is no immediate timeline on a search or replacement director.
In November, ICAD and the Iowa City Area Business Partnership (ICABP)
agreed to merge by July 1 after several years of
discussing the possibility but opting to remain separate.
Mr. Butland
joined the IETC in June 2021, where he was tasked with improving the "entrepreneurial ecosystem and encouraging workforce development activities," according to a news report at the time.
He served as dean of the Iowa City campus at Kirkwood Community College from July 2019 to December 2021.
The news was first
reported by the Business Record.
“We have made significant progress and have strong momentum," he said in an email announcing his departure. "That must continue. … I am grateful for the opportunities and experiences that I have had here. I will always look back on my time leading IETC with fondness."
The
IETC is a network of education companies, edtech startups, academic and education stakeholders, and economic development leaders.
