The Curious Heart

When Mike Main ’87 arrived at Central College, he thought he might become a lawyer. A political science major with interests that stretched across disciplines, Main was drawn to ideas, public affairs and leadership. Medicine wasn’t yet part of the plan.

But Central helped him discover that plans can evolve — and that some of the most meaningful paths in life begin by staying open to possibility.

“I think what Central did was open up a wide variety of opportunities and make me realize you didn’t need to specialize in one thing,” Main says. “There are a lot of different things you can do and do well.”

That mindset would shape Main’s extraordinary career as a nationally respected cardiologist, healthcare executive, educator and researcher. Today, Main serves as senior vice president and chief clinical officer for Saint Luke’s and as president of Saint Luke’s Physician Group, overseeing more than 1,000 physicians and advanced practice providers. He also remains active in clinical medicine and medical education while helping lead one of the Midwest’s premier healthcare systems.

Yet Main still traces much of his professional philosophy back to his time at Central.

A Johnston, Iowa, native, Main grew up in a family connected to the Reformed Church in America and knew about Central from a young age. He was also recruited to run cross country and track, another factor that drew him to campus. Once in Pella, he immersed himself in academics and student life, running competitively for four years while serving in student government, eventually becoming student body president.

Like many students, Main says he arrived unsure of exactly what direction his life would take. During his sophomore year, though, he began to feel pulled toward medicine — influenced in part by the sudden loss of his younger sister, Micki, who died from a heart condition.

“It kind of pulled me toward medicine,” Main shares.

With support from Art Bosch ’51, professor emeritus of chemistry, Main charted a path that allowed him to complete medical school prerequisites while continuing as a political science major. That balance between science and the liberal arts would become foundational to the way he thinks about medicine, leadership and lifelong learning.

At Central, Main says he learned not only how to succeed professionally, but how to remain intellectually curious. Professors like Jim Zaffiro, Don Racheter, Rod Camp and Bill Julian challenged him to think critically, communicate clearly and engage deeply with the world around him.

“Central prepares you to be more than just a worker in a profession,” Main says. “It prepares you to be broadly educated and to be a good citizen.”

That broad perspective carried Main through years of advanced medical training. After graduating from Central, he earned his medical degree from the University of Iowa before completing a residency in internal medicine and fellowship in cardiovascular diseases at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He later completed advanced cardiac imaging training at the Cleveland Clinic before building his career in Kansas City.

Over time, Main became known not only for his clinical expertise in cardiology and echocardiography, but also for his ability to lead. His career gradually expanded from patient care and research into broader organizational leadership roles.

For years, Main balanced what he describes as “three hats” at once — clinician, educator and researcher — while also stepping into administrative leadership. Even now, as his responsibilities increasingly focus on healthcare management and strategy, he believes remaining connected to patient care is essential.

“For physicians who go into leadership, it’s important to maintain a clinical presence,” Main expresses. “Partly to maintain competency, but also for credibility with the people you lead.”

That philosophy reflects a broader belief Main often shares with students and young professionals: Meaningful leadership requires both expertise and human connection.

As medicine rapidly evolves through advances in technology and artificial intelligence, Main believes those human-centered skills will only become more important. While AI will dramatically change parts of healthcare, he says the qualities developed through a liberal arts education — critical thinking, communication, emotional intelligence and judgment — will remain invaluable.

“In a world where information is everywhere, judgment becomes really valuable,” Main says. “Technical skills and information are going to become commodities, but we’ll still need people who can lead, communicate and synthesize all of that.”

Those themes became central to Main’s 2026 Commencement address at Central, where he encouraged graduates to “invest for success” by investing in themselves. Drawing from years spent around high-performing physicians, researchers and executives, Main emphasized four core principles: Commit to lifelong learning, be willing to reinvent yourself, develop a personal sense of mission and protect your health.

“The asset that’s most important to invest in is actually yourself,” Main affirms. “That’s where you’re going to get the highest returns over the long term.”

Main continues to invest in Central, too. Since joining the college’s Board of Trustees in 2016, he has remained an active advocate for the institution through board service, philanthropy and mentorship of students and alumni.

Main sees giving back as both a responsibility and a privilege.

“So many opportunities were given to me — by my parents and by Central College,” Main says. “I give back because I want other people to have those same kinds of opportunities.”

During Central’s 2026 Commencement ceremony, Main returned to campus not only as commencement speaker, but also as the recipient of the Doctor of Science honoris causa degree. For Main, the recognition represented something deeper than personal achievement.

“My time at Central was a transformational period in my life,” he says. “I feel like I owe Central a lot of whatever success I’ve had.”