Gov. Kim Reynolds has appointed two new Iowa Board of Regents members, she announced Friday: Steve Lacy, a former media executive and Peter Cownie, a former state lawmaker.
Reynolds said Lacy was “an accomplished executive” for his work at Meredith Corp., now People Inc., where he turned an “Iowa-grown publishing company into a national media conglomerate.”
“He has demonstrated the ability to operate a highly functioning private organization—an essential asset as he steps into this new role working alongside other regents with the goal of propelling our state universities into the next generation of educational excellence,” Reynolds said in the release.
Lacy served as the CFO then CEO and later chairman at Meredith from 1998 until he retired in 2020, according to the release. Lacy, who has a master’s degree from Kansas State University, then went on to become the chair-CEO advisor at Vistage Worldwide, an executive coaching organization.
Lacy has served on advisory council for the University of Iowa’s Center for Intellectual Freedom and said he has “enjoyed helping develop and successfully launch” the university’s new center.
“I appreciate the opportunity to serve on the Iowa Board of Regents and sincerely thank Governor Reynolds for considering me,” Lacy said. “I am anxious to work with the Board of Regents to advance higher education in Iowa.”
Cownie served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 2008 to 2018 as a Republican from West Des Moines.
In his professional life, Cownie was president of Junior Achievement of Central Iowa — a nonprofit organization that works to give students work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy — from 2008 until 2013.
He then went on to the Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation, where he served as executive director.
Reynolds said Cownie had a “strong background in business leadership, community engagement, and strategic planning.”
“His experience and commitment to public service will be a valuable asset as the Board of Regents continues its important work to ensure our universities remain accessible, affordable, and focused on student success,” Reynolds said in the release.
Cownie, who received a master’s degree from Drake University, said he was honored by the appointment to the Board of Regents.
“I look forward to working to ensure our Regents institutions are providing a world class education for our students while also growing our economy in Iowa,” Cownie said.
Lacy and Cownie fill slots on the board left open by the resignation of former president of the board Sherry Bates and by David Barker, who left in May to serve as the assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Education.
The governor’s appointments require confirmation from the Iowa Senate.
