Alumni Profile



photo Rose Vasquez
Rose Vasquez

We often hear that a degree from our department is good training for public positions of responsibility. In the case of Rose Vasquez (B.A. '77) the positions of responsibility include serving as one of the nine members of the Iowa Board of Regents, the body that governs Iowa’s three public universities and the state schools for the deaf and blind. We are very proud to have one of our own overseeing the University (Actually we have two! Robert Downer (B.A '61) is also a member of the Regents). Rose is an attorney in Des Moines who was employed in Human Relations at Principal Financial Group from 2002 until 2008. While at Principal she was also an "executive on loan" to the Polk County Human Services Planning Alliance as a part of the Greater Des Moines Partnership's Project Destiny. Prior to that, she served as the director of the Iowa Department of Human Rights from 1999-2002, and as Assistant Attorney General in the Iowa Attorney General's Office from 1985-1999. Rose is a native of Moline, Illinois and earned her law degree from Drake University.