Minnick named president of Career Professionals of Iowa

Bill Minnick, director of career development at Northwestern College, assumed the role of president of Career Professionals of Iowa (CPI) during the organization’s annual state meeting July 7 and 8.

During 2015–16, Minnick served as CPI’s president-elect and secretary. As president, he will provide vision and strategic planning for an association of career development professionals at all of the state’s public and private colleges and universities—from community colleges to four-year institutions.

Minnick will work with a five-member leadership team to plan future events and professional development for CPI’s members. “We want to continue to build and promote Career Professionals of Iowa,” he says. “Our goals are to develop it as a pivotal association, to increase participation, and to make CPI more accessible and prominent.”

Minnick also served as a workshop co-presenter during CPI’s state meeting, which was held at Graceland University in Lamoni. In “Collaboration: Combining Resources and Efforts to Develop Opportunities,” he and Stacie Hays, director of career services at Morningside College, presented  a model of collaboration that has provided career search opportunities for all students at Iowa’s private colleges and universities.

“College career centers are an important resource for students in choosing a major, deciding on a career, and searching for a job after they graduate,” Minnick says. “It’s a win/win if we can provide more opportunities for both our students and employers statewide.”

Minnick has been a member of Career Professionals of Iowa since 1999, the year he joined Northwestern’s staff after serving as assistant director of career services at the University of Sioux Falls. He holds a master’s degree in educational psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.