David Kingland is an entrepreneur and Iowa success story.

A 1980 Iowa State graduate with a degree in industrial administration - a precursor to today's business degree - Kingland is the founder, chief executive officer, and chairman of the board of Kingland Systems Corporation, a technology services and solutions firm that serves the financial and accounting industries. It is headquartered in Clear Lake and has facilities in Ames, Lake Mills, and Dalian, China.

The firm isn't his first successful entrepreneurial venture. In the 1980s, he founded and served as president and CEO of Kingland Capital, a broker/dealer that pioneered the bank-based, full-service retail brokerage business model. He eventually sold Kingland Capital and formed Kingland Systems to focus on the technology needs of top-tier bank and broker/dealer institutions.

More than a successful business, Kingland Systems is an economic driver. It employs more than 200 full-time employees. For ten years, his firm has had a major presence in the Campustown area of Ames, during which time the company has employed more than 1,200 students and repeatedly been ranked the number one intern employer at Iowa State. Kingland Systems frequently appears on the list of top employers of College of Business graduates. The company's growth has led to its role in the Campustown revitalization project currently underway.

As an entrepreneur, innovator, and employer, David Kingland is yet another example of the 97,000 ISU alumni living in Iowa and contributing to the economic health of the state.