The Simpson College board of trustees has named Bob Lane, vice president of college advancement, as interim president of the college, effective Jan. 1. Outgoing President Jay Simmons will transition to a support role until a new president is named, the college said in a news release. The private Indianola college announced in August that it had named a national search committee to seek Simmons’ replacement. Lane, a Simpson alumnus, has been in his present role at Simpson since 2007. Before his time at Simpson, Lane served as the vice president for advancement at Illinois College. Simpson’s board of trustees plans to move forward with interviewing a poll of candidates who have been identified by the search firm in early 2020.