Grinnell College
1115 8th Ave
Grinnell, IA 50112
United States
Rachel Bly
Director of Conference Operations and Events
Rachel Bly ’93 (she/her/hers) is Director of Conference Operations and Events (COE) as has served in this role since 2005. COE is uniquely positioned to connect to all facets of campus life through the college calendaring and space management system, their role in planning Commencement Weekend, and the work done with Public Events, Scholars’ Convocation, and Guest Housing. COE also gets the opportunity to work with a variety of external constituents through management of Summer Camps and Conferences and other external rentals. Rachel enjoys the relationship building across campus, the opportunities to work on a variety of projects and programs, and the fact that her days are never dull!
Prior to that she served in the Grinnell College Office of Development and Alumni Relations in a variety of roles, and worked doing issue advocacy for a national nonprofit in DC for a few years.
When not on campus you can find Rachel serving on the Grinnell City Council, active in Poweshiek County politics, and serving and volunteering for a number of Grinnell organizations and groups. She can also be found cheering on her teenage son, spending time trying out new creative outlets, and traveling to complete a sprint triathlon in every state in the US.
Education and Degrees
B.A. in Political Science, Grinnell College; M.P.A., Drake University; Certificate in Emergency Management and Disaster Preparedness, Park University