Decorah, Iowa (pop. 8,172 in 2000), is, in many ways, a typical small Midwestern community facing many of the same issues as most other areas such as a brain drain and a continuing struggle to find ways to stimulate the local economy. Perhaps the strengths and successes of the approaches used in Decorah can be attributed to its ability to identify…

This article examines the increasing number of college presidents leaving their posts in Iowa for higher-paying positions at other major research universities. With the recent departure of yet another popular president at the University of Iowa, members of the state's Board of Regents, the news media, and even faculty members are arguing that the…