Luther College President Rick Torgerson has not only helped Luther College, he has helped Decorah

(Note: Sunday, June 30th is officially the last day on the job for Luther College president Rick Torgerson, who is retiring after 14 years in the college's top job.  decorahnews.com sat down with Torgerson recently to review the last 14 years at Luther):

Retiring Luther College President Rick Torgerson admits that when he came to campus in 1999, Luther College was hardly promoting its location in Decorah.

"We kind of downplayed it," he says of Luther's conversations with parents and prospective students about the school's location in a small town in Iowa.

But over the years, the college has changed the way it looks at Decorah.  "Now we're using place as a strategic advantage," says Torgerson.  The college's website has a link to Decorah information at the top of its home page.

The college highlights local attractions, lodging, outdoor recreation possbilities and even has a video gallery about Decorah.

Luther has also worked with Decorah community members on a number of fronts, especially on sustainability issues, such as local food and fitness initiatives.

As a result, the "town/gown" relations are now much strong in 2013 than they were in 1999 when Torgerson arrived on campus--another of the legacies he leaves.