MINNEAPOLIS — The University of Minnesota's Board of Regents have selected former Hormel CEO and 2022 congressional candidate Jeff Ettinger as the school's new interim president.
In a special meeting called by board members Monday, Ettinger was selected by a vote of 10-1.
Ettinger was chosen from a field of four finalists, who included Myron Frans, senior vice president for Finance and Operations at the University of Minnesota; Mary Holz-Clause, chancellor of the University of Minnesota Crookston; and E. Thomas Sullivan, president emeritus and professor of Law and political science at The University of Vermont and former provost and senior vice president at the University of Minnesota.
Following the meeting, the Board of Regents released a statement from Board Chair Janie Mayeron:
"Jeff emerged from that impressive group and we believe the experience and skills that stood out will make for an effective interim leader of our University."
“The U of M excels because of our exceptional students, brilliant faculty and talented staff. We have strong and steady senior leaders supporting them throughout each of our five campuses and I‘m confident Jeff’s leadership will broaden support for the University and build upon our strengths as we stay focused on the University’s goals.”
Ettinger, who ran as a Democrat in Minnesota's First Congressional District race last fall, is an attorney who also spent 27 years at Hormel Foods in Austin. He spent 11 years as the company's CEO before moving on to his current position as chair of the Hormel Foundation Board of Directors.
“My family and I have a multi-generational connection to the University of Minnesota and it’s the honor of my lifetime to be chosen for this position and build on that legacy,” Ettinger said in a statement on Monday.
“I want to express my gratitude to the Board of Regents for their confidence in me and my ability to lead this amazing research university during this critical time in its history. I cannot wait to get started and to contribute everything I can in the months ahead to advancing the University of Minnesota, its mission and its service to its students and the state.”
According to the U of M, Ettinger will serve in the position for up to one year, as the board continues its nationwide search for the school's 18th president.
The move comes after current University President Joan Gabel announced in April that she would leave after the 2022-2023 school year to become the new chancellor at the University of Pittsburgh.
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