Kent Barnds
Kent Barnds leads enrollment management at Augustana College, overseeing admissions, financial aid, and marketing while driving strategic planning. Since joining in 2005, he has played a key role in record-breaking student enrollments and campus innovation. A respected voice in higher education, he serves on national advisory groups, speaks at industry conferences, and contributes to publications like Inside Higher Ed and The Chronicle of Higher Education. Previously, he spent 13 years at Elizabethtown College, advancing to dean of admissions.
Active in his community, Barnds has served on multiple boards and consults on strategic planning and performance management. Originally from Gering, Neb., he lives in Davenport, Iowa, with his wife, Jennie, and their three children. He enjoys traveling, cooking, jazz, cycling, and remains a firm believer that "the option" is football’s most exciting offense.