The University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business has named Dave Ernst as the new executive director of strategic partnerships.
Mr. Ernt will connect businesses and other organizations to resources in the college to help them grow.
In this newly created role, Ernst will help connect businesses and other organizations to resources in the college to help them grow. Ernst, who has held a number of business development positions with several education-related companies, earned an MBA degree at Tippie in 1997 and graduated from Iowa with an engineering degree in 1986.
Ernst most recently was senior vice president of state services and business development for Cognia, a Georgia-based developer of assessment tests. He also has worked in numerous capacities for Pearson in Iowa City, including regional vice president and director of the company’s research and innovation network, and at Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids.
“Iowa has a tremendous brand across the state and the region,” Ernst said in a press release. “I want to be part of an institution that builds so much trust and helps to create the future with our unique talents.” The Office of Strategic Partnerships will serve as a convenient “front door” for businesses and organizations that want to use the college’s resources to create new growth and expansion opportunities for themselves, the college said. It will develop relationships with all aspects of the business community in Iowa and other states, including corporations, nonprofits and community associations.
As executive director of strategic partnerships, Mr. Ernst says building corporate partnerships will expand research collaborations, executive education, and experiential learning and placement opportunities for faculty and students. Strong engagement with faculty and students will help organizations solve business problems and expose them to a high-quality workforce. If done well, positive strategic partnerships could also lead to increased corporate-generated philanthropic support for the college’s mission, he said.
This new initiative will pull together existing pockets of engagement across the college.
• The Tippie Analytics Cooperative is the industry-facing arm for all things analytics. It builds partnerships throughout the region that result in hands-on projects for its students and data-based business decisions for its clients.
• The Marketing Institute partners with outside business clients on marketing challenges.
• The Tippie Leadership Collaborative is a resource hub for companies and nonprofits looking for management expertise through expert speakers, custom executive education, and research partnerships.
• The John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center supports economic development in the region with its focus on small businesses and startups.
A native of Rockford, Ill., Mr. Ernst and his wife live in Cedar Rapids.
