The St. Olaf College Board of Regents establishes and advances the mission and strategic priorities of the college. The Board oversees the college’s academic quality and fiscal integrity, ensuring the college’s ability to accomplish its purposes both now and in the future. Key Board responsibilities include appointing and assessing the performance of the college president; approving tenure for faculty members; approving and monitoring the college’s strategic plan; reviewing and approving the college’s annual budget and long-term financial plans; assuring the quality, integrity, and sustainability of the college’s buildings and grounds; and monitoring student outcomes, community well-being, and institutional effectiveness.
The Board’s organization and operations are governed by the college’s Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws. In addition, the Board’s statement on its core Commitments, Competencies, and Composition guides its governance practices and the selection of new Regents.
The Board meets three times during the academic year, normally in October, February, and May. In addition to participating in these meetings, each Regent serves on one or more committees focused on various aspects of the college’s academic programs, community life, governance, and physical and fiscal resources.
Regents
All Regents with voting franchise are either appointed or elected to the Board by its current members. Two Regents hold appointed positions, one as a recent graduate of the college and the other as a liaison to the college’s alumni organization. The remaining Regents are elected to six-year terms that normally commence at the October Board meeting in the year of their election. They may be re-elected to a second six-year term.
Officers of the Board
Chair: Susan Gunderson ’79
Vice Chair: Jay Lund ’81
Secretary: Jo M. Beld (non-Regent staff member)
Treasurer: Paul Grangaard P ’18
Regent Information
Susan Rundell Singer
Ex-Officio
President
St. Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota
Marvin Benton ’75
Elected 2021; Term 1 concludes 2026
Attorney and Counselor at Law
Colonel (Ret.)
U.S. Army
Rockwall, Texas
Jeffrey W. Bolton
Elected 2016; Term 2 concludes 2028
Vice President, Administration (Retired)
Chief Administrative Officer
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minnesota
Sean A. Burress ’94
Elected 2019; Term 1 concludes 2025
Senior Director – Global Research, Media and Analytics
Kimberly-Clark Corporation
Romeoville, Illinois
Craig Dean ’78
Elected 2022; Term 1 concludes 2027
Managing Partner
AEG Partners, LLC.
Chicago, Illinois
Joan Ericksen ’76
Elected 2020; Term 1 concludes 2025
Senior United States District Judge
U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Stephanie L. Fehr ’87
Elected 2019; Term 1 concludes 2025
Executive Vice President and Chief Human Capital Officer
United Healthcare
Minnetonka, Minnesota
Paul D. Grangaard P ’18
Elected 2018; Term 1 concludes 2024
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Faribault Woolen Mill Co.
CEO/President and Advisor (Retired)
Allen Edmonds Corporation
Edina, Minnesota
Susan Gunderson ’79 (Chair)
Elected 2015; Term 2 concludes 2027
Chief Executive Officer (Retired)
LifeSource
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Jennifer Hellman ’98
Elected 2018; Term 1 concludes 2024
CEO and President
Goff Public
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Chad Jerdee ’90
Elected 2022; Term 1 concludes 2027
Global Lead, Responsible Business, Sustainability and Corporate Citizenship (Retired)
Accenture, Inc.
Chicago, Illinois
Ward Klein ’77
Elected 2014; Term 2 concludes 2026
Executive Chairman (Retired)
Edgewell Personal Care
Chesterfield, Missouri
Kathryn Lohre ’99
Elected 2023; Term 1 concludes 2029
Assistant to the Presiding Bishop of the ELCA
Executive for Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations & Theological Discernment
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Chicago, Illinois
Jay Lund ’81 (Vice Chair)
Elected 2012; Term 2 concludes 2024
President and CEO (Retired)
Chairman of the Board
Andersen Corporation
Oak Park Heights, Minnesota
Timothy Maudlin ’73
Elected 2012; Term 2 concludes 2024
Venture Capitalist (Retired)
Eden Prairie, Minnesota
Brenda McCormick ’89
Appointed 2020; appointment concludes 2024
CFO and Senior Vice President
Children’s Minnesota
Edina, Minnesota
Laurie Nordquist ’81
Elected 2020; Term 1 concludes 2026
CEO and Lead Region President for the Upper Midwest (Retired)
Wells Fargo Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Scott Okuno ’85
Elected 2020; Term 1 concludes 2025
Professor of Oncology / Oncologist
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minnesota
John R. Raitt
Elected 2016; Term 2 concludes 2028
Partner, President & CEO (Retired)
Harris Associates L.P.
Wilmette, Illinois
Theresa Hull Wise ’89
Elected 2013; Term 2 concludes 2025
Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer (Retired)
Delta Airlines
Bloomington, Minnesota
Mariem Zaghdoudi ’20
Appointed 2022; appointment concludes 2025
Bioeconomy Program Senior Specialist
Great Plains Institute
Brooklyn, New York
Senior Regents
Senior Regents (non-voting) are former Board members elected by current Regents in recognition of their sustained and significant service to the Board and to the college.
Dean L. Buntrock ’55
Elected Senior Regent 1995
Regent, 1972 – 1986
Board Chair, 1986 – 1995
B. Kristine Olson Johnson ’73
Elected Senior Regent 2017
Regent, 1973 – 1986, 1989 – 1992, and 2001 – 2013
Board Chair, 2013 – 2016
Martin E. Marty
Elected Senior Regent 2002
Regent, 1988 – 1994
Board Chair, 1994 – 2001
Addison “Tad” Piper
Elected Senior Regent 2015
Regent, 1999 – 2014
Board Chair, 2010 – 2013
Larry Stranghoener ’76
Elected Senior Regent 2020
Regent, 2005 – 2020
Board Chair, 2016 – 2018
O. Jay Tomson ’58
Elected Senior Regent 2010
Regent, 1995 – 2006
Board Chair, 2006 – 2010
Jerrol M. Tostrud ’60
Elected Senior Regent 2011
Regent, 1996 – 2001
Board Chair, 2001 – 2006