Talinda Pettigrew

Talinda Pettigrewd leads the strategic delivery of human capital programming, services, and support across the College. Reporting to the vice president for finance and chief financial officer, she oversees the development and implementation of comprehensive HR strategies that foster a positive, inclusive organizational culture while attracting, developing, and retaining a high-performing workforce.

Pettigrew brings more than two decades of progressive human resources leadership in higher education. Prior to joining Grinnell, she spent over 20 years at the University of Iowa, most recently serving as senior director of human resources for the Division of Student Life. In that position, she led people strategy for more than 2,500 staff and student employees and served on the division’s executive leadership team. Throughout her career, she has built a strong reputation for strengthening workplace culture, guiding organizational change, and aligning HR practices with institutional values.

She 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. Additionally, Pettigrew serves as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Dubuque, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in human resources, leadership, and organizational communication.