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Northeast Iowa Community College has fired President Herbert Riedel over “performance-related” concerns, according to a statement on the college’s website. But Riedel, in a statement sent to local media outlets, has promised to “vigorously” contest his termination.
“As a lifetime academic and higher education professional with a distinguished 38-year career that includes a previous successful 10-year college presidency, it troubles me that aspersions are cast on my character and competence in a manner that can only be described as vindictive—and likely motivated by political differences,” Riedel said in a statement to The Telegraph Herald, a local newspaper. “It is my desire to … be reinstated to continue the good work we were well on the way to accomplishing by building a team of exceptional leaders for the college.”
NICC has declined to comment on the reason for the termination, noting it is a personnel matter.
But Riedel, who was placed on leave for unclear reasons in early October, has accused Board of Trustees chair Jim Anderson of interfering in personnel matters and in the college’s daily operations, alleging Anderson attempted to micromanage his presidency. Riedel has also made vague accusations about potentially illegal behavior and noted he has filed a complaint related to the board with NICC’s accreditor, the Higher Learning Commission.
