By Dar Danielson (Radio Iowa)
The Iowa Board of Regents named North Dakota State president David Cook as the new president of Iowa State University Tuesday.
Board president Sherry Bates read the motion to approve Cook. “For and initial term commencing March 1st, 2026 for a term of five years at an annual salary of $700,000. Authorize a five-year deferred compensation plan commencing on March 1st, 2026, with annual contributions of $100,000,” she says. He will also be given a monthly housing allowance of $8,000 and a vehicle allowance of $1,500.
The 55-year-old Cook is an Ames native and an ISU graduate. “What an honor, so I really do appreciate it. I’m pretty overwhelmed a little speechless,” he says. Cook will become the 17th president of Iowa State and succeeds Wendy Wintersteen who will retire in January after nine years as ISU’s president.
Regent Bates introduced Cook publicly for the first time as the president-elect at a reception following the board meeting. “I am deeply humbled by this opportunity,” Cook says. Cook says he is still trying to process the idea of coming home to lead ISU. “It’s a lot to take in, especially when you were born here at Mary Greeley, as you just heard, went to high school here, went to school here and have family that are so embedded here. This is an institution that means so much to my wife and I and so, it is coming home,” he says.
Cook says hearing the Board approve him was exciting. “It does hit you, it hits you hard I have a lot of pride in what’s just happened. And so I want to say thank you to all of you for having the faith in me,” Cook says. “Thank you to the search committee. Thank you to all the people that I had the opportunity to meet during the search committee. You’re all you all roll out the red carpet. You do it the right way.”
Cook also thanked President Wintersteen. “Whoever got this job was going to be in great shape because she left the place better than she found it. That’s incredibly obvious to me,” he says. “The amazing work that’s been done under her tenure, and I’m going to do my best to keep it going and I just want to say I’m very grateful to all that she’s done for the institution over the years. And of course, most recently as President.”
Cook had been president at North Dakota State University since 2022. The Board of Regents originally selected four finalists. Two dropped out before the on-campus interviews.
