WATERLOO - An Allen College employee is running for a Hawkeye Community College board seat being vacated by a longtime trustee.

Keith Clark, 52, of 866 Sunrise Blvd., filed nominations papers for the board's Director District 6 seat in the Sept. 11 election. He is the administrative assistant to Allen's dean of academic affairs.

The board position currently is held by Harold Brock, who expects to move out of the district in September. No one else has filed yet for the seat, which represents a western portion of Waterloo. The deadline is 5 p.m. today.

Clark said he has "a vital interest in higher education" and saw Brock's plans to not run again as an opportunity to get into electoral politics.

"This seemed to be a good time to put my foot in the water," he said.

Clark, who moved here from the Quad Cities in 2003, began working in Allen's library last summer and moved into his current position in November.

Clark's bid for the Hawkeye seat is not because of his employment at Allen. "It's strictly as a private citizen that I'm running," he said.

However, he noted several connections have been forged between Hawkeye and Allen. HCC President Greg Schmitz serves on the Allen College board. And last month Hawkeye signed an articulation agreement with Allen so its students can easily transfer there for nursing and radiography degrees.

Brock, 92, is a founder of Hawkeye and was chairman of its board for the first 15 years of existence, until 1980. He ran again and won nine years ago. Miriam Tyson, another trustee who is moving into the district, had considered running for Brock's seat but recently announced that she will not.

The incumbents are the only candidates who have filed for the two other open seats on the board. Ron McGregor of 3384 240th St., Nashua, is seeking re-election to the Director District 1 seat. Ruth Niemann of Denver is seeking re-election to the Director District 2 seat.

Interested candidates for any of the positions can file nominating papers with the secretary of HCC's board. Filing also closes at 5 p.m. today for candidates running for area school boards. Papers must be filed with the appropriate boards' secretaries.

Contact Andrew Wind at (319) 291-1507 or andrew.wind@wcfcourier.com.