Patti Hetrick named as Luther College’s vice president for finance and administration

DECORAH, Iowa – Patti (Schroeder) Hetrick, class of 1984, from Minneapolis was named the vice president for finance and administration at Luther College, President Jenifer K. Ward announced this week.

The native of nearby Caledonia, Minn., and graduate of Luther brings a wide range of governmental, public sector and corporate experience managing large and complex operational infrastructures.

Patti (Schroeder) Hetrick

“Patti has a deep love for Luther College and a skill set developed over a long career in finance and administration in a variety of sectors,” Ward said. “Given the pace of change in higher education, we will be well served by her fresh perspective coupled with her genuine investment in the vitality of her alma mater.”

Hetrick will begin on May 1 on a half-time basis then full-time in June. Luther budget director Andrew Bailey will continue as the interim VPFA until May.

“Luther College has had a significant impact on my life, and I’m excited to return to the places and spaces I call home,” said Hetrick. “My studies at Luther College gave me a sense of grounding in a big world, and the skills to work with our community to ensure that Luther continues to thrive for generations to come.”

She joins Luther after three years as the chief financial officer of the Hennepin County Library System in Minneapolis where she oversaw the budget, contracts, personnel management, capital projects and operations for the 41 libraries which served 1.2 million county residents. In her position as CFO, she also worked as needed with the Hennepin County Library Board, Hennepin County Administration and the county’s Board of Commissioners.

Prior to the Hennepin County Library, Hetrick spent 13 years as the budget director for the Anoka County government, also in the Minneapolis metro area. She managed a $341 million budget along with operational tasks and providing updates to a wide range of constituencies. In this role she worked with the county administrator and the overall management team which provided services to the approximately 363,000 residents of Minnesota’s fourth-most populated county.

During her tenure, she also gained additional leadership experience as the interim library director for Anoka County, steering the facility through the Covid-19 transition of services.

Before joining Hennepin County, she had a similar position of budget director for Sherburne County, Minnesota, and its $80 million budget for the county. She also had her own consulting business for the decade before joining civic government.

Following her graduation from Luther, she started her career in corporate America working first with internal audit at Cargill in Minneapolis. She advanced to director of internal audit and special projects at G&K Services, a publicly traded corporation also in Minneapolis, for a decade.

With family nearby, Hetrick will be relocating to Decorah later this spring.

About Luther College

At Luther College in beautiful Decorah, Iowa, students explore big questions and take action to benefit people, communities and society. Our academic programs, experiential approach to learning and welcoming community inspire students to learn actively, live purposefully and lead courageously for a lifetime of impact. Learn more at luther.edu.