Hormel Foundation Board of Directors approve new Executive Committee positions

The Hormel Foundation’s Board of Directors recently approved new executive committee positions for Bonnie Besse Rietz as Acting Chair and Roland Gentzler as Vice Chair in response to Jeff M. Ettinger’s recent appointment as Interim President of University of Minnesota.

Rietz, who was the first woman elected as Mayor of the city of Austin, and who was also the first woman appointed as Vice Chair of the Hormel Foundation will also be the first woman to hold the top position for the Foundation, which was first established in 1941.  Gentzler, who first joined the Hormel Foundation Board of Directors in 2017 will take on the role of Vice Chair and will also continue to serve as Treasurer. Gentzler, who joined Hormel Foods in 1976  served in the company’s finance department, and he was also its Treasurer.  Steven T. Rizzi Jr., a partner at the law firm of Adams, Rizzi and Sween, will continue to serve as Secretary.

Ettinger was recently approved to serve as Interim President of the University of Minnesota by its Board of Regents. Rietz stated that Ettinger will continue to advise The Hormel Foundation board, but he will recuse himself in involvement of decisions related to The Hormel Institute and the major FAARM (Future Advanced Agriculture Research in Minnesota) project planned for Mower County.