As Vice President of Development and External Affairs at Northeast Community College, Dr. Tracy Kruse oversees the college’s resource

development, grants, alumni, and state and federal governmental relations activities. Additionally, she serves as the Executive

Director of the Northeast Community College Foundation and works directly with a 19-member Foundation Board.   She earned

a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Relations and Communications, an MBA in Business Administration, and a Ph.D. in

Education Leadership and Policy. Her dissertation and several published works focused on the intersection of social capital

and finances among community college students.

 

Dr. Kruse leads a division that has raised over $40 million for College programs, scholarships and facilities since 2011,

including nearly $13 million for a new farm operations facility and a state of the art Veterinary Technology building, a

$12 million campaign for the McIntosh College of Nursing building project, $3.5 million to construct an extended campus

in O’Neill and $3 million for a new career and technical facility in West Point.

 

Dr. Kruse has more than 25 years of experience in marketing, communications, and fundraising. Prior to joining

Northeast, she was employed at Northeast Iowa Community College for 10 years, first as Director of Marketing

and Communications and then as Executive Director of External Relations. At NICC, she was successful in securing

$27 million in grants and private support, as well as leading a $35 million successful bond levy campaign to construct

several new facilities. Prior to that she served in marketing and development roles in healthcare and electric utilities.

 

Kruse has participated in a variety of volunteer and board capacities in the community over the course of her career.

Currently she serves as executive director of the Community College Alliance for Agriculture Advancement, a national 501c3 organization dedicated to the advancement of agriculture education at two-year institutions; is a board member of the National Council for Workforce Education; and currently serves on the governmental affairs council of the Norfolk Area Chamber of Commerce.  Over the years, she has served the community through various leadership capacities with the local Rotary Club, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Community Foundation. She has advanced her profession by serving in statewide, regional, and national leadership roles and has organized several fundraising and community events for the betterment of the region.