The Simpson College Board of Trustees has announced that Simpson College President Jay Simmons will step down from his current role once a successor is named. Simmons said of the decision to step down:

“I’m honored and thankful for the opportunity to have served the Simpson community. As I enter my seventh academic year, I believe it’s the right time for a new president who can focus the campus community on Simpson’s next chapter.”

A nationwide search will be headed by a committee, led by representatives of the Board of Trustees, faculty, and the resident bishop of the United Methodist Church in Iowa, as well as input from staff, alumni, and students. Simmons served as the twenty-third president of Simpson College.