CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – As the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) looks forward to the 2025-26 academic year, the Presidents Council, Faculty Athletics Representatives Council, Athletics Directors Council, and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee has been announced by the conference office. 
 
“With President Darrin Good joining the executive committee in an at-large role, and the continued leadership of Chair Rebecca Ehretsman and new Vice-Chair Mike Doyle, our executive leadership is strengthened to lead with vision and purpose,” said Marie Stroman, A-R-C Commissioner.
 
Presidents Council Executive Committee
Serving as chair of the Presidents Council will be Wartburg College’s Rebecca Ehretsman. The Vice-Chair will be Mike Doyle of Loras College and the At-Large Member will be Nebraska Wesleyan’s Darrin Good. 
 
Ehretsman began her tenure at Wartburg on July 1, 2022 when she began as the 18th president in college history. She came to Wartburg from Elon University where she served as the dean of the School of Health Sciences. Prior to her work at Elon, she was the chair and program director for the Department of Occupational Therapy and a professor of occupational therapy at Concordia University Wisconsin from 2013 to 2017 and an associate professor of occupational therapy with tenure at Maryville University from 2002 to 2013. Ehretsman is a certified hand therapist and international expert in flexor tendon rehabilitation. 
 
A 1991 magna cum laude graduate of Loras College, Doyle brings a wealth of experience in higher education leadership, finance, and advancement to the role. Beginning in 2007, he served in multiple roles at Loras, most recently as vice president for advancement and treasurer (CFO) at Loras, where he was a principal member of the college’s leadership team until 2021. Doyle is the 27th president of Loras College.
 
Good is the 17th president of Nebraska Wesleyan University. Prior to arriving at NWU in 2019, Good had served as vice president of academic affairs and dean of the faculty at Whittier College, located near Los Angeles, Calif. Whittier College is one of the country’s most ethnically/racially diverse private national liberal arts colleges with an enrollment of 1,700 students. Prior to Whittier College, Good served as the associate provost and dean of science and education at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn., from 2012-2015. Prior to that he was a biology professor at his alma mater, Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill., where he assumed administrative roles including director of service learning and leadership initiatives, director of summer academic programs, director of Nicaragua Medical Service Learning Program, chair of the Division of Natural Sciences, chair of the Governing Board of the Pre-Health Professions, and admissions coordinator for biology and pre-health professions. 
 
“I’m honored to serve as the at-large member of the Presidents Council Executive Committee and contribute to the important work of advancing the mission and vision of the A-R-C," noted Darrin Good, Nebraska Wesleyan University President. "I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues to help shape strategic decisions that support our amazing student-athletes, our institutions and the continued growth of our conference.”  
 
Faculty Athletics Representatives Executive Committee
The Faculty Athletics Representative Council will be led by co-chairs Brad Best and Jessy Bible of Buena Vista. Co-Vice Chairs will be Joy Becker and a new member of the FAR group from Wartburg as Todd Reiher ended his long tenure as a member of the group. Simpson’s Barb Ramos and Kedron Bardwell will serve as Co-Past Chairs for the upcoming academic year. 
 
Best is a graduate of the A-R-C, earning his bachelors from Wartburg. He is a professor of political science at Buena Vista. Best is an author of various book chapters, book reviews, and entries in scholarly reference materials in the fields of American politics, public law, public policy, and public administration. 
 
Becker is a graduate of Wartburg College and additionally earned her M.S. and Ph.D. at Iowa State University. She is now back working at her alma mater serving as an associate professor of mathematics. 
 
Bibler’s experiences prior to Buena Vista include working as a K-12 educator, adjunct professor, and professional development facilitator. She is now working at her alma mater, earning her bachelors and masters degrees from Buena Vista. Bibler now serves as an assistant professor of physical education. 
 
Ramos brings her experience as an elementary teacher and elementary counselor to her work as professor of education at Simpson. She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Iowa State University. 
 
Bardwell serves as a professor, mentor, and internship supervisor, while working closely with students to achieve their professional goals. His expertise comes in American Politics, Public Policy, Mass Media, and Religion and Politics. Bardwell's highest level of education came from the University of Iowa in Political Science (Ph.D.). 
 
Athletics Directors Executive Committee
The Athletics Directors Council will be led by Nelson Edmonds of the University of Dubuque. Buena Vista’s Amy Maier will serve as Vice Chair and Steve Cook will roll into the Past Chair role. 
 
“The University of Dubuque is honored to be part of the American Rivers Conference—one of the best conferences in Division III athletics,” wrote Nelson Edmonds, Vice President of Student Engagement and Intercollegiate Athletics at the University of Dubuque. “I am blessed to serve the conference in this role, and look forward to working with great colleagues to move forward this conference and its brand, and to serve the wonderful student athletes and communities that are the foundation of the A-R-C.”
 
Edmonds will serve as the vice-chair this upcoming academic year. He is the Vice President of Student Engagement and Intercollegiate Athletics at Dubuque. Edmonds joined Dubuque in 2018 as the Dean of Student Engagement and Services and was a volunteer coach for the Dubuque football team. 
 
Amy Maier has been a part of the Buena Vista University athletic department for more than a decade. She was named Director of Athletics at Buena Vista University in April 2024 after serving in an interim role since August 2023. Maier began as an administrative assistant for the Beavers when she arrived on campus in the fall of 2014 before becoming Assistant Director of Athletics in 2015, and later was promoted to Associate Director of Athletics in the summer of 2021.
 
Cook serves as the Director of Athletics & Recreation and the Head Baseball Coach at Coe. He first came to Coe in 1996 as an assistant baseball coach, moving to the head coach position the following year. He took on the expanded role of leading the Coe athletic department in January 2020. 
 
Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Executive Committee
As the page turns to 2025-26, the A-R-C is also excited for the leadership for the Student-Athlete Advisory Council. Gideon Armah-Amissah will return for the second year as President of the A-R-C SAAC and will be joined by Danika Demers in the Vice President role. 
 
“Together with our SAAC representatives, Gideon Armah-Amissah and Danika Demers, we remain committed to a student-centered approach as we embark on an ambitious three-year strategic plan to elevate the conference and support our student-athletes,” added Stroman.
 
Each of the league’s nine institutions put forward representatives to serve on the conference SAAC, while the Executive Committee was selected based upon a committee vote during the April A-R-C SAAC meeting. 
 
The purpose of SAAC is to provide a student-athlete voice within the conference, solicit student-athlete responses to proposed NCAA and conference legislation, suggest potential NCAA and conference legislation, and create a vehicle for student-athlete representation both conference-wide and nationally.