Rob Miller recently took over as the executive director of the Iowa College Access Network (ICAN). Miller founded the organization in 2007 and served as its executive director until 2009 before coming back this year. He has also held management positions at education-oriented companies NCS Pearson Inc. and XAP Corp., and also at Iowa Student Loan and ACT Inc. The common theme: providing information and services to help students gain access to college.

What exactly does ICAN do?

ICAN is a statewide nonprofit organization whose mission is to empower Iowans to become ready for college and careers. ICAN provides students and families – beginning in middle school and spanning throughout their lifetime – with timely information, tools and resources to assist in important areas like college and career planning, understanding financial aid and how to pay for college, and financial literacy. ICAN also operates two college planning centers – one in West Des Moines, one in Cedar Rapids – which enable families to receive individual attention with complex tasks, such as completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). All ICAN services are offered at no charge. ICAN works with 99 percent of Iowa’s school districts to provide information and programming. Typically, ICAN works with – as an extension to – a school’s guidance counseling department.

Why should the business community care about ICAN?

Postsecondary education has become the new gateway to the middle class and one of the most important economic issues of our time. In fact, nine out of 10 of the fastest-growing careers require some form of postsecondary education or training. Simply put, an aligned education system fuels a talent pipeline for business and industry.

What can businesses do to help ICAN?

As a nonprofit organization that does not charge for its services, ICAN is constantly looking for partnerships with like-minded organizations willing to invest in helping students succeed. For businesses, these partnerships can take many forms, from helping to support the delivery of ICAN services to local schools and in surrounding communities to sponsoring events and publications that promote college and career readiness. I would encourage any business – large or small – that wants to have a positive impact on student success and our ability to maintain a highly skilled and competitive work force to contact me at 800-402-4200 to discuss partnership opportunities.

What drives your passion for this field?

There really wasn’t a watershed moment that led me to becoming passionate about education and helping students succeed. It was more of a natural progression of events. My family believed strongly in the value of education and gave me every opportunity to better myself through education. Also, I’ve been married to a schoolteacher for 22 years, and her approach to helping students, many of whom are disadvantaged, has impacted me.

What goals do you have?

I have two major goals. One, help Iowa increase the proportion of its citizens with high-quality degrees and credentials and two, educate parents sooner about the costs of college and how to proactively begin planning to meet them. We need to make sure that students research, and understand, the projected outlooks for occupations they’re considering. It’s matching supply with demand and helping them achieve positive outcomes. It may sound silly, but it’s never too early to educate parents about understanding the costs of college. This is a somewhat new era for ICAN, so we’re still considering a range of possibilities and partnerships, but one idea that intrigues me is working with schools to provide information on how to save for college, or project what families need to save for college, during kindergarten roundup sessions.

What are the biggest things that Iowa can do to reduce the high amount of student debt?

Early education and planning for the cost of college is critical. Also, there are free online planning tools, such as The Student Loan Gameplan, to assist students and parents in creating customized action plans for borrowing less for college.

What do you do outside work?

I am active in Dollars for Scholars. I participate in College Goal Sunday Iowa (an organization that helps students fill out the FAFSA) and support several local student-focused organizations. I love to read – especially James Patterson novels – golf, and cheer for the Cubs.