Grinnell College Board of Trustees Elects Two New Members
Two new trustees have been elected to Grinnell College’s governing board, which meets formally three times during the academic year. The new trustees will join the Board of Trustees retreat in June 2023.
The new Board of Trustees members are:
- Laura (Carter) Sander ’84
- Steve Sandquist ’95
President Anne F. Harris, shared, “I am thrilled to welcome these two outstanding alumni to the Grinnell College Board of Trustees. Their extensive expertise and experience, combined with their shared commitment to the liberal arts, will be deeply valued on the board as we partner to advance Grinnell’s educational mission and institutional thriving. I look forward to our work together and all that we can make possible for Grinnellians to navigate the world’s complexities, and enduringly contribute to the common good.”
Here’s a more detailed look at each new Trustee:
Laura (Carter) Sander ’84
Laura (Carter) Sander is a member of the Grinnell class of 1984. She and her husband Tom Sander live in Somerville, Massachusetts, and have two children, Caleb (24) and Anna (21). Sander is a financial professional who has worked in the nonprofit, for-profit, and public sectors with a focus on higher education. She joined Suffolk University as senior vice president for finance and administration and treasurer in 2016. She had previously served as chief financial officer and treasurer at Whitehead Institute, a nonprofit biomedical research organization affiliated with MIT, and as assistant treasurer at Harvard University. In prior roles as vice president at both Moody’s Investors Service and at J.P. Morgan, Sander focused on higher education and nonprofit institutions. Her earlier experience included serving as an analyst at the Congressional Budget Office.
In addition to her bachelor’s from Grinnell College, Sander holds a master of public policy degree with a focus on finance from the Harvard Kennedy School. She is a certified treasury professional and volunteers as a trustee and treasurer of the Commonwealth School (Boston). Sander previously served as a director and treasurer of the Boston Consortium for Higher Education and as a commissioner for the New England Commission of Higher Education.
Steve Sandquist ’95
Steve Sandquist graduated from Grinnell College in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. Following Grinnell, he earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Iowa College of Law in 2000. Currently, Sandquist is the president of United Contractors, Inc., a multi-state highway construction company based in Johnston, Iowa. Sandquist also serves on the Board of Governors for the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America. AGC is the leading association for the construction industry, representing over 27,000 firms across the United States.
Sandquist is a lifelong Iowan, where Des Moines is his current home. He shares his life with his wife, Marina, and they are the proud parents of twins.
The Board of Trustees also voted to re-elect two trustees to new terms:
- Michael Kahn ’74
- Shelley Floyd ’72
The role of the trustees is to assure the “great and lasting good” of Grinnell College. Through their commitment to institutional stewardship, shrewd financial investments, and prudent management, the trustees have enabled Grinnell to become a leading liberal arts college noted for its rigorous academics, diversity, community, and commitment to exploring issues of justice on campus and beyond. Learn more about Grinnell College Board of Trustees.