U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn announced Monday at DMACC that the community college will receive $2 million in federal funding for its facility project. (Photo by Brooklyn Draisey/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Des Moines Area Community College is gearing up to open a new facility on its flagship campus for industry-partnered and community-supported programs, helped in part by federal dollars.
U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn held a press conference on the DMACC Ankeny campus Monday to announce $2 million in federal Community Project Funding has been secured for the new academic facility, which will house DMACC’s building trades, HVAC, diesel, Ford training and fire science programs.
“This program behind me really sets the standard — not just what we can do in skilled trades, but what we’re doing for our first responders,” Nunn said. “It’s an investment in not only our hard-earned taxpayer dollars, but it’s going to help grow our economy, it’ll help all boats float.”
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Nunn was joined by Polk County supervisors Mark Holm and Jill Altringer Monday for the announcement, as well as DMACC officials and business partners.
DMACC broke ground on the facility last fall, having sold $30 million in bonds to finance its construction. The total cost comes out to $34 million, DMACC Strategic Communications and Marketing Executive Director Dan Ryan said in an email, and the DMACC Foundation is working with the community college to raise the remaining $2 million.
The 72,000 square-foot facility is slated to open in January, DMACC Interim President Chiang Lee Wee said. This federal funding represents an “invitation for other partners to step forward” and provide their support for the programs, he said.
Jenny Foster, executive academic dean for manufacturing, engineering, trades and transportation at DMACC, said during the announcement the building is being constructed with students in mind, especially those who like to work with their hands and “want to learn by doing.”
Included in the new facility will be flexible work bays, tool rooms, labs built at different sizes to accommodate large equipment and vehicles, classrooms, conference spaces, student lounges and study areas. Jeanie McCarville-Kerber, executive academic dean for health sciences and community services pathways at DMACC, added that students will be able to train in “advanced simulation labs and modern training environments that mirror the real emergencies our responders face every day.”
“Students get to practice real skills in real spaces, use the kind of tools and equipment they’ll be using on the job, and learn from instructors who care about the trades and how they do once they leave DMACC,” Foster said.
Students who go through these programs in the new facility will graduate with the training and skills to contribute to the state’s future economic development, said Brad Gehring, vice president of procurement and asset management at Ruan Transportation Management Systems.
He and Des Moines Fire Chief Jonathan Lund said the facilities and programs housed in it bring education and industry closer together — a fact that is more important than ever as demand for firefighters, emergency services personnel, and skilled tradespeople grows.
Nunn agreed, saying fields like artificial intelligence still need people who can set up cooling systems, manufacture materials and more. High schools should also be part of this discussion, he said, so students can be exposed to skilled trades and find their interests in those areas before going to college.
“The facility is an important investment in Iowa’s workforce and in the students who will help meet the growing demand for skilled professionals across our state,” Gehring said.
Nunn told reporters after the press conference that he is “moving forward with legislation this week to get E15 and biofuels grown right here in Iowa” on the House floor. He said he believes the U.S. needs to look at energy sources to ensure it is “no longer dependent on foreign adversaries like Iran.”
E15, a fuel blend of 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline, and policy to promote its year-round availability were not included in the farm bill passed by the U.S. House April 30. Nunn described the E15 language as a “limiting factor that was never going to be brought up,” but he and other Iowa delegation members stuck together and ended up getting a bill passed that included 21 of his own provisions.
Vice President JD Vance voiced support for year-round E15 when he visited Iowa May 5 to support Nunn’s race in the state’s 3rd Congressional District and address Iowa workers.
“This is a huge step forward, and I’m thrilled that we’ve been able to get both the president and the vice president to both come out and full-heartedly endorse, let’s sign this into law,” Nunn said. “I think that puts positive pressure not only to get a vote, but then to make sure it becomes law this year.”
Some organizations have spoken out against legislation that includes the year-round E15 policy, including the Keep Fuel Affordable Coalition, the International Union of Operating Engineers, Engineers Action and Response Network, United Steelworkers and more, citing potential rising costs and the gutting of the Small Refinery Exemption program, which they said could lead to refinery closures and job losses.
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