Rob Barron
Executive Director
rbarron {at} compact(.)org
Staff
Rob Barron
Executive Director Rob Barron brings a wealth and breadth of experience in civic and community engagement and higher education leadership to Iowa & Minnesota Campus Compact. Rob also currently serves as vice chair of the Des Moines School Board and is a founder of the Latino Political Network. In 2021, Madison 365 named Rob one of the Midwest’s most influential people of color. A Des Moines native, Rob earned a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Grinnell College.
Rob Barron
Kara Trebil-Smith
Dr. Kara Trebil-Smith is Director of Member Services, supporting our member-facing programs, networking opportunities, and trainings. She also oversees the AmeriCorps VISTA program, which supports member campuses and community organizations. She has spent more than 10 years in community engagement roles on Iowa college campuses. In 2018 she completed her doctoral degree in higher education from the University of Denver where her research focused on building the capacity of community engagement professionals to practice inclusion of racially minoritized students. Kara began working with IAMNCC in 2019.
Kara Trebil-Smith
Director of Member Services
ktrebilsmith {at} compact(.)org
Monique Ellefson
Monique serves as Director of Network Engagement and oversees our AmeriCorps State/National Program. Her journey into civic engagement began as an impassioned student leader at the University of South Dakota. This led her to serve as an AmeriCorps VISTA for Oregon Campus Compact and then the VISTA Leader for Iowa Campus Compact. After her terms of service, she earned her Master’s of Science in Education at Indiana University, where she was a Graduate Assistant for Community Engagement. Monique began working with IAMNCC in 2017 and has managed both our AmeriCorps & VISTA programs.
Monique Ellefson
Director of Network Engagement
mellefson {at} compact(.)org
Carly Bahnsen
Carly Bahnsen is the Program Manager for our AmeriCorps State/National program. She graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics. Carly is an avid Hawkeye fan, who, prior to joining the IAMNCC team, worked for her alma mater at the University of Iowa – Des Moines Programs. Carly joined IAMNCC as a program coordinator in 2018.
Carly Bahnsen
Program Manager
cbahnsen {at} compact(.)org
Ashley López
Ashley brings a diverse skillset to IAMNCC after her nearly 13 years of career experience in education, social service, community organizing, youth development, and social justice. She earned a BA in Politics from Mount Holyoke College and a Master’s in Education from Concordia University, St. Paul. She is now pursuing a Masters in Advocacy & Political Leadership at Metropolitan State University. Reflecting a deep passion for equity and inclusion, Ashley’s work is rooted in anti-racist, pro-justice praxis in all that she does.
Ashley López
Program Coordinator
alopez {at} compact(.)org
Riah Coley
Riah Coley is a program coordinator for Iowa & Minnesota Campus Compact specifically helping to coordinate summer VISTA programming. In the past they have served both as a VISTA member and as an AmeriCorps site supervisor. With a broad background working alongside students from infancy to college, both in and out of the classroom, Riah has a passion for student-centered learning and student agency. They earned their M.S.Ed from Indiana University with a focus on literacy, culture, and language education.
Riah Coley
Program Coordinator
mcoley {at} compact(.)org