Byers’ Inauguration Sets Stage for Simpson’s Future

Jay Byers ’93 was inaugurated as the 25th president of Simpson College on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. Joined by Simpson trustees, students, faculty, staff, alumni, distinguished guests, community members, family and friends, President Byers pledged his commitment to faithfully serving the mission of Simpson College and its students.

Simpson’s Board of Trustees Chair Terry Handley ’09 opened the ceremony in Smith Chapel. “Today, our community is beaming with pride as we formally invest our new president with the medallion of Simpson College. We have full confidence in President Byers and his ability to lead this College with distinction in the months and years to come.”

Handley was followed by Simpson Associate Professor of Biology Aswati Subramanian, who described Byers’ innovative and inclusive leadership.

“I see [the president’s] ability to look beyond the confines and rigidity of structure, rules and outdated ideals,” said Subramanian. “As we enter a new period of guidance and energy toward fresh visions with an abundance mindset, I am excited to see the leadership ability that forms a well-integrated, diverse and thriving ecosystem that is Simpson.”

Glowing Endorsements, Grand Performances

Amanda Zwanziger, president and CEO of the Indianola Chamber of Commerce, said Byers’ appointment as Simpson’s president made everyone feel like a big winner.

“On multiple occasions, the words ‘we won the lottery’ were used — by alumni, community leaders and business owners,” she said. “Not only did Simpson College gain the absolute best, so did our community. He understands partnerships, cares about people, and is a visionary who puts things into action. We simply couldn’t ask for a better leader for the most important institution in our community.  Could we be any luckier?”

Gary Stenke, president of the Iowa Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, spoke to Byers’ commitment to who matters most in higher education. “First and foremost, Jay is focused on students. For more than 150 years, this student-centered and inclusive, welcoming environment has defined Simpson College. Jay will be a champion for Simpson College students and for students across the state.”

Others offering special greetings were Katie Dawson ’06, assistant to the Bishop for the Iowa Conference United Methodist Church; Martha Davis-Goldstein ’08, president of the Simpson College Alumni Association; and Simpson College Student Body President Sarah Roberts ’25.

Memorable music included a powerful rendition of Mozart’s Sull’aria…che soave zeffiretto by superstar sopranos Meghan Kassanders ’14 and Kaylah Hicok ’18. Simpson’s Chamber Singers and Choir also delighted attendees with a soothing version of Bridge Over Troubled Waters. And Billy Weathers ’13 brought the house down with a wildly creative and humorous spoken word performance.

Making it Official with Heartfelt Connections

The official installation of President Byers included his adviser and mentor, faculty emeritus Dr. John Epperson, presenting him with the Simpson medallion. The medallion symbolizes the president’s commitment to Simpson’s mission and the Office of the Presidency.

Following the investiture, Coe College President David T. Hayes introduced Byers for his formal address with a witty and touching tribute to his former University of Iowa Law School classmate and longtime friend. Hayes began by noting the close relationship he enjoys with Jay and his wife, Katie — dating back to their law school days together.

“Jay and Katie are very dear and special friends of my wife, Heather, and me. Although the bright light today necessarily shines on my very tall friend, Jay, we need to direct it briefly to Katie, for you are one of the strongest, most creative and genuine people in my life, and I know this is an adventurous journey for you as well.”

Hayes went on to poke fun at Jay about his role as the lead singer in their law school band. “You demand the center front of every stage. And you annoyingly had to stop everything to tune, and you wouldn’t even let me have a microphone, which, [think about] shared governance, come on,” he joked.

Hayes also mused about Jay’s many realistic Halloween costumes over the years, such as Abe Lincoln, Sully from Monsters Inc., and a “too spot on” version of Napoleon Dynamite. Turning more serious, Hayes offered that Byers carries the many inspiring qualities portrayed by the character Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

“Your leadership is rooted in knowledge produced by an inquiring and nimble mind. Gandalf’s leadership stands out because he doesn’t lead through force or authority but through guidance, mentorship and the ability in others to rise to the occasion. You possess this ability to mentor and nurture, and it will serve this community well. The willingness to serve and lift others up is a noble purpose. It’s what you will do for Simpson students.”

Taking the Future by Storm

Byers’ Inauguration Address focused on the College’s need to “embrace the Simpson of the future.” While recognizing the great momentum established through recent key facility upgrades, program enhancements and growing enrollment and retention success, Byers is counting on college-wide and community collaboration to make certain Simpson thrives for generations to come.

“We must continue to step up our game to show an even stronger value proposition for our students, parents and community partners,” said Byers. “We must dig deep to be innovative and creative in our collective efforts to take our future by storm.”

To that end, Byers said, the College is launching a new strategic planning initiative that will fully engage trustees, faculty, staff and students in creating a promising future. Fostering a culture of active engagement, open communication, excitement and fun on campus will be key, he says, while asserting that the College must continue to pursue visionary opportunities in academics and co-curricular activities.

To that end, Byers says Simpson is uniquely positioned to take liberal arts learning to the next level. He eagerly anticipates the exciting new ways in which the College will prepare coming generations of students to be responsibly engaged global citizens with readily adaptable skills to thrive in any circumstance.

“Simpson instills a commitment to lifelong learning and is effective at teaching what I call ‘power skills’ or  ‘life skills,’ such as leadership development, teamwork, collaboration, communication, problem solving…These are critically important competencies that transcend jobs and careers and can’t be replaced by artificial intelligence or machine learning. Moving forward we must look at what more can we do to integrate these key life skills into our curriculum and overall student programming.”

Sweet Send Off

Following his remarks, Byers surprised the audience by singing “Homeward Bound” with his Homeward Bound bandmate David Pulliam. The ceremony closed with a moving musical remembrance of President Byers’ mother, Joyce Jensen Byers, who died in 1979 at the age of 38, when Jay was in elementary school.

A recording of Joyce’s piano solo of the “Lord’s Prayer” – performed as a 11-year-old in 1952 and captured on a vinyl record – was played as a beautiful benediction punctuating a grand day in Simpson’s history.

“Never in my wildest dreams during my time as a student at Simpson did I think that I would one day be president of the College,” said Byers. “Having served for more than a year in this position, I am more optimistic now than ever about Simpson’s future.”