BHC staff member Dale Huntley is all about numbers!
That is one of the reasons he’s a great fit as Black Hawk College’s Manager of Institutional 
Research & Assessment, Office of Planning & Institutional Effectiveness (PIE).
PIE’s mission is to progressively contribute to the strategic planning, policy formation and decision-making processes of Black Hawk College.
The office does this by advancing and providing timely and accurate quantitative and qualitative information, analysis and summary reports.
PIE also fulfills its mission by providing leadership in strategic planning, institutional effectiveness, mission attainment, continuous quality improvement, accreditation and accountability.
In addition to numbers, Huntley is also big on sports. We learned that Chicago Cubs, fantasy baseball, and Olympics are a few of his favorite things during this Q&A session.
How did your career path lead you to Black Hawk College?
After graduating from Iowa State University, I was a temporary worker in the mail room at Deere & Co. At Deere & Co., I learned I had a knack for process improvement. From Deere & Co., I got a permanent job at Malcolm Bliss Mental Health Center as a Research Analyst.
Malcolm Bliss Mental Health Center was a psychiatric center for the acutely mentally ill located in St. Louis. While at MBMHC, I learned a lot about continuous quality improvement and collaborated with one of the psychiatrists to publish an article in a psychiatric journal.
After getting married and having a son, my wife (who is from Buffalo, NY) and I wanted to be closer to family. I found this job at Black Hawk College and my wife, who is a psychologist, opened her own private practice.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I love the game of baseball. I am the commissioner of a fantasy baseball league, which I work on all year long. I just finished two books on the 2016 World Series winning Chicago Cubs.
Where did you grow up?
I was born and raised in Rock Island. I graduated in 1986 from Alleman Catholic High School.
Did you have a favorite subject when you were a student?
I love math. It was my best subject in school. In the sixth grade, Bill Schwegler and I finished the math textbook with a quarter left in the school year. Therefore, we started on another one. When I enrolled at Alleman, I was a year ahead of my classmates in math.
When you were a kid, what career did you envision for yourself?
My initial goal was to play center field for the Chicago Cubs. That dream was crushed by the Alleman freshman baseball coach because he did not know about sabermetrics*.
*the application of statistical analysis to baseball records, especially in order to evaluate and compare the performance of individual players
Therefore, I figured I would do something that involved working with numbers. My dream job would be the official statistician for the Chicago Cubs.
How has educated impacted your life?
Education has allowed me to live the American dream. I have a job that I enjoy. I have a wonderful wife and two talented children currently in college.
What is your favorite thing about Black Hawk College?
My co-workers in the Office of Planning & Institutional Effectiveness are great. I work in a department that works really well together.
If you could go anywhere on vacation for free, where would you go and why?
I would go to the Olympics. My mother was a gymnast so she loved watching the Olympics. I have passed on that enthusiasm for the Olympics to my kids. We watch as much as we can during every Olympics. My favorite events are curling during the Winter Olympics and swimming during the Summer Olympics.
What is something most people do not know about you?
I loved professional wrestling as a kid, despite my mother telling me it was fake. Thanks to YouTube, I can go back and relive all my memories of watching Georgia Championship Wrestling hosted by Gordon Solie.
If you could change something about the world, what would you change?
I would eliminate hypocrisy. What is good for the goose is good for the gander.
What is the best place of advice you’ve ever received?
Both my dad and I have the same first and last name (our middle names are different). He told me he never wanted to see his name in the paper for anything bad.
Aside from the necessities, what is one thing you can’t go a day without?
Reading the sports section of the newspaper.
What is your favorite time of the year, and why?
Baseball’s spring training is my favorite time of the year. It is a sign that both spring and baseball are coming soon.
What do you want prospective students to know about Black Hawk College?
I tell students that Black Hawk College is a valuable resource.
For students planning to attend a four-year college or university, I tell them to take classes in the summer or online classes from Black Hawk College. It helps either lighten their workload during the year and/or save money on tuition.
For students planning to attend Black Hawk College, I always tell them not to be afraid to ask questions of the faculty and staff. We are here to help them reach their goals.