Retirement Series: Drew Gocken

By Brandon Greubel.

Drew Gocken will be retiring from DMACC after 22 years, “Finally” he says.

He started in 1992 as an instructor and a consultant for DMACC Business Resources. No computers were on the desks, and there was no such thing as campus email. Back then, Dan Ivis called and left a daily voicemail instead of sending a DMACC Daily email to everybody.

Gocken’s DMACC career began as an instructor for networking and electronics.  He was then appointed the department chair in 1998, and later the district chair in 1999. He was named interim dean and eventually the full dean in 2005.

After his retirement, Gocken will be considered Dean Ameritus allowing him to continue to be involved with DMACC as needed.

Gocken said his best moment at DMACC was when he was asked to be the interim dean in February of 2005, and unanimously selected as dean in November of that same year.

DMACC is easily twice the size it was when Gocken started. They spent every year trying to accommodate incoming students by building new classrooms and hiring new professors to keep up with the growth.

It has always been quality over quantity in the Business Management and Information Technology  (BMIT) program. As of 2013, in the year of his retirement, enrollment levels in the college have leveled off.

As the dean of BMIT, Gocken is in charge of the second largest program at DMACC. The Arts and Science College, currently run by Dean Jim Stick and Associate Dean Kari Hensen, is the largest program at DMACC.

“The group of four Ankeny deans that DMACC currently has is probably the best we’ve had so far,” said Gocken.  “All I hope is that I made a positive difference in the college.”

When Gocken retires, he plans to spend time by his pool with his six grandchildren and travel all over the country. He already has a trip planned to Germany in September if all goes well after retirement.

Spring semester will be Gocken’s last full semester on campus. He will be semi-retired for the beginning of the summer semester and will fully retire on Friday, June 28, 2013.

The faculty of the BMIT program and anyone else who worked with him knows Gocken as the “fun dean.” On Halloween, he was known to sometimes wear a business suit with some sort of full face mask. After retiring, Drew hopes to be known as the “Techie Dean” that DMACC had.

“Drew has been awesome to work for. He looks out for students and faculty alike. He will be missed,” said Shelley Hensley, an Administrative Assistant.

We wish Drew Gocken many happy years in his well-earned retirement!