Palmer College of Chiropractic's Board of Trustees has named Bettendorf Chiropractor Dennis Marchiori as the institution's new chancellor, the college announced Wednesday in a news release.

Marchiori, 45, a graduate of Palmer, was approved by the board at its Oct. 30 meeting in Daytona Beach Shores, Fla., the news release said.

"We did a huge national search and I believe he is the best person for Palmer," said Palmer Board Chairman Trevor Ireland.

"We had 400 applications from the get-go," Ireland said. That was pared down to 27 candidates, and then that list was pared to eight candidates and then to three.

"It was a very credible, exhausting search, and he surfaced as the number one man," Ireland said. "He earned it on his own merits."

Marchiori replaces interim chancellor William Wilke, who was appointed after the departure of Chancellor Larry Patten in December.

Marchiori said his greatest challenge would be leading Palmer in the accountability movement that all other institutions of higher education are going through.

It is up to the chancellor to take the reigns of leadership for "strategic planning and transparency in how we do business," Marchiori said.

The success of Palmer means to continue to strengthen the school's core mission, he added.

"Our mission is really about student learning and development, patient care and research," Marchiori said.

The college has been re-accredited for the next 10 years, he said, while over the past 10 years the school has received $30 million in grants for research.

"I will have my work cut out for me in continuing the missions that are under way," he said.

While teaching students, supporting the chiropractic profession, performing research, and giving patients the best of care, Marchiori also said Palmer, which has three campuses, must continue giving back the to the communities in which they are located.

Palmer's other campuses are located in San Jose, Calif., and Port Orange, Fla.

Marchiori said that while there have been issues between the school and some alumni, the majority of Palmer graduates support the institution.

"We can't over-emphasize enough how necessary it is for alumni to participate," he said. "What we do is a people business. I'm looking to be inclusive and not exclusive."

It will take everybody to meet the challenges of the future, he said, and that includes the students and employees of the college, the alumni, and the surrounding communities.

Ireland said that several qualities put Marchiori over the top.

"He's highly educated," Ireland said. "He not only has a DC (doctorate of chiropractic) but has a Master's Degree in anatomy and a Ph.D. from Iowa (University of Iowa). He is loyal and passionate about chiropractic and the growth of the profession.

"He also lives in the Quad-Cities, and it's a huge thing to have a person who already is in your area where his children go to school and he has his church and friends," Ireland added.

Marchiori, he added, has a strong work ethic, and he understands the culture of Palmer and the culture of the Quad-Cities, and how the two interface.

"He takes his job seriously," Ireland said. "He's a driver. He likes to see the end result, and he needs to achieve it."

Marchiori also has strong people and communication skills, Ireland added.

"I've known Denny for 20 years, and he is absolutely the right person at the right time," Ireland said. "He's well respected by the Palmer administration, faculty and students. We're off to a good start."