Central College President Mark Putnam has been appointed by Gov. Kim Reynolds to the College Student Aid Commission. The commission’s only private college representative, Putnam will serve a two-year term advising the governor, legislature and state agencies about student aid. The commission also administers federally-guaranteed student loans and state-funded scholarships and grant programs, as well as informing students and families about financial aid.
Putnam is in his seventh year as president of Central College and has more than 30 years’ experience in higher education. He is also chair of the Iowa Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (IAICU) board and a member of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU). Putnam is also a member of the executive committee of the Iowa Governor’s STEM advisory council and serves on the board of directors of Greater Des Moines Partnership. Additionally, he is a member of the Executive Committee for the Future Ready Iowa Alliance, the Iowa College Foundation board, the Iowa Campus Compact Board, the Greater Des Moines Committee and the higher education working group for the Council on Foreign Relations.
Before leading at Central and throughout Iowa, Putnam served as senior vice president for executive affairs, chief of staff and chief planning officer at Northeastern University in Boston. He also held senior administrative appointments and positions at Connecticut College, Alliance Theological Seminary, Nyack College and Pace University after beginning his career as an admission counselor at Nyack. Putnam earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy from Nyack, then Master of Arts, Master of Education and Doctor of Education degrees at Teachers College, Columbia University.
