Talinda Pettigrew to Join Grinnell College as Associate Vice President for People and Culture

Talinda Pettigrew, an experienced human resources leader, will join Grinnell College as associate vice president for people and culture on August 24.  

In this role, she will lead the strategic delivery of human capital programming, services, and support across the College, overseeing the development and implementation of comprehensive HR strategies aligned with the College’s mission, vision, and goals, with a strong emphasis on HR transformation, organizational effectiveness, and best practices. She will also work closely with senior leadership to foster a positive and inclusive organizational culture while advancing human resources practices that attract, develop, and retain a high-performing workforce. 

The creation of the associate vice president for people and culture position was announced in January 2026 as part of a phased leadership transition for Grinnell’s Human Resources team.  In this role, Pettigrew will be a key member of the College’s senior leadership team and will report to Germaine Gross, vice president for finance and chief financial officer.  

“I am excited to welcome Talinda to Grinnell College.  Her extensive track record in higher education human resources demonstrates both strategic insight and a focus on operational excellence and relationship building,” said Gross.  

Pettigrew has more than 20 years of progressive human resources leadership at the University of Iowa. Currently, she serves as senior director of human resources for the division of student life, where she leads people strategy for more than 2,500 staff and student employees and serves on the division's executive leadership team. 

Throughout her career, Pettigrew has been recognized for building trust during periods of organizational change, strengthening workplace culture, and aligning people practices with institutional mission and values. Her experience includes executive leadership, employee relations, organizational effectiveness, compensation strategy, and talent development within complex higher education environments. 

Pettigrew holds a Master of Business Administration with distinction from the University of Dubuque and a bachelor’s degree in communication studies and psychology from the University of Iowa. She also serves as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Dubuque where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in human resources, leadership, and organizational communication. 

"Talinda is strongly positioned to build on Jana Grimes' foundational work with the talented team in Human Resources. I look forward to her partnership with Germaine Gross and the senior leadership team in this new role focused on people and culture," said President Anne F. Harris.