In the News
You’ll find coverage of President Mark Putnam in a variety of places. From radio to podcasts to newspapers and magazines, people in Pella, Iowa, Washington, D.C., Mexico and around the world have all taken interest.
Creating a New Start & Building on Tradition
There are certain seasons in the life of an academic community when it is timely to think about what matters most. The beginning of a new presidency offers a fresh opportunity to consider direction, clarify purpose and ensure the best possible outcomes for the college and its students. President Mark Putnam plans to make the most of it by cultivating the fertile soil of the institution to create new ideas, finding ways to innovate and sustain the upward growth of Central College.
Pella’s new first family tastes its first Tulip Time
I had the honor of serving the new president of Central College and his family their first poffertjes at their Tulip Time debut.
If you haven’t heard of poffertjes, they’re the Dutch mini-pancakes sprinkled with powdered sugar. Top them with strawberries and whipped cream, if you like.
RCA College Presidents Travel East
For the first time ever, all three presidents of the RCA’s colleges–Northwestern, Central, and Hope–visited New York together with members of their admissions staff. They met with RCA members there to strengthen partnerships and generate interest in the colleges among RCA youth in eastern churches.
El Central College de Pella “cambia vidas”
Hace 45 años, el Central College de Pella, Iowa, comenzó a cambiar vidas y la forma de ver el mundo. Fue pionero en Estados Unidos en el desarrollo de programas de intercambio para que los universitarios conocieran otras culturas e idiomas… Read more
Central College changes lives
Forty five years ago, Central College began to change lives and the way to view the world. It was a pioneer in the United States in the development of exchanges programs for university students to learn about other cultures and languages…. Read more
Central College changes lives
Forty five years ago, Central College began to change lives and the way to view the world. It was a pioneer in the United States in the development of exchanges programs for university students to learn about other cultures and languages…. Read more
Central College president’s blog gets national attention
The Des Moines Register
Putnam, who came to the private liberal arts college in Pella from Northeastern University in Boston, tells The Chronicle of Higher Education about his new blog and a controversial post about how he and the rest of us share responsibility for the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. It drew 152 comments.
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KNIA/KRLS Mark Putnam, In Depth with Dr. Bob Leonard
Dr. Mark Putnam is the 21st president of Central College, Pella, Iowa. Putnam previously served as senior vice president for executive affairs, chief of staff and chief planning officer at Northeastern University in Boston, Mass., where he held a succession of leadership roles over 10 years… Listen to interview
New President Introduces Himself With Blog Post About Oil Spill
Last July, Mark L. Putnam left a decade-long career at Northeastern University, in Boston, for a much different kind of leadership post. For his first job as a campus president he sought out Central College, a religiously affiliated institution with about 1,500 students in a town of just 10,000 in southeastern Iowa. And like so many presidents, Mr. Putnam began writing a blog. Unlike many presidents, however, Mr. Putnam’s first post, about ways he said he and the rest of society shared responsibility for the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, elicited nearly 140 comments from across the political spectrum.
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Campus Compact
Dr. Mark Putnam became Central College’s 21st president July 1, 2010. Putnam previously served as senior vice president for executive affairs at Northeastern University in Boston, Mass., where he had a succession of leadership roles for 10 years. He also held key senior administrative appointments at Connecticut College and Alliance Theological Seminary (N.Y.). He began his career in higher education as an admission counselor at Nyack College (N.Y.) in 1983. Putnam earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy from Nyack College, and a Master of Arts, Master of Education and Doctor of Education degrees at Teachers College, Columbia University (N.Y.).
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