(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors were hosted by Iowa Western Community College on Thursday, December 1st, 2021. Ambassadors were introduced to Cindy Wetterlind as the new Center Director, along with other new staff. The Ambassadors also learned about a project in which students partnered with Akin Building Center.

Cindy has worked with IWCC for 15 years in a case management program in which she would visit business officials as a company was going out of business. Cindy would offer the staff scholarships and continuing education opportunities through Iowa Western that would allow the staff to acquire new skills to get new jobs. After the program ended, Cindy spent a few months in another position, but applied for the Director position here after learning former Director Ann Pross retired in the summer of this year.

Among the new staff are two part time secretaries, Nancy Gilleland and Grace Kopp, and a new English Comprehension professor Dianna Blake, and Ray McCalla, Psychology and Religion & Ethics professor, also started working full time at the center this summer. The Ambassadors learned about a project led by Brian Church and his students in the Design Technology Department. With the pandemic in 2020 many students were unable to obtain an internship.

The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors visited the IWCC Cass County Center on Wednesday to welcome new staff and learn about a project to build new tables for the student center.

Brian tasked the students with a design project and the group decided to create wooden tables for the Student Center. The students approached Akin Building Center about partnering on the project, in which Akins donated many of the items used in the project.

Iowa Western has multiple locations throughout southwest Iowa, and the Cass County location has seen a great increase in enrollment which has allowed for more growth and opportunities at the center.

To learn more about Iowa Western, please contact 712-325-3200 or visit that their website at https://www.iwcc.edu/cass/

Iowa Western-Cass County is located at 705 Walnut Street in Atlantic.