Gustavus Adolphus College will seek a new president after Rebecca Bergman announced her plans to retire next year.

Bergman will step down in the summer of 2025 after 11 years in the position. The first woman to lead the liberal arts college in St. Peter, Minn., she previously worked for 26 years as an engineer and senior executive at Medtronic in Fridley.

“The opportunity to serve the Gustavus community has been the highest honor of my professional career,” Bergman said in a message to students, faculty and staff announcing that the 2024-25 academic year will be her last as the college’s 17th president.

Gustavus said Bergman’s accomplishments included more than doubling the college’s endowment, from $135 million in 2014 to $300 million in 2024. She also oversaw several major building projects and guided the school through the pandemic.

The Gustavus Board of Trustees and campus community will launch the search for a new president this spring in preparation for a presidential transition in summer 2025.

“President Bergman was hired because of her tremendous capacity to build — everything from trusting relationships and new facilities to financial resources and plans for the future,” Board of Trustees Chair Marcia Page said in a Wednesday statement. “She has delivered on those promises and done it as a true servant-leader who is deeply committed to providing Gustavus students with a well-rounded experience and outstanding education.”

Related Articles

Searching for some way to help, a St. Paul woman tutors a Ukrainian man in English online

St. Paul schools names John Thein as interim superintendent — again

Northwest Angle one-room schoolhouse to remain open after questions about its future

‘Hey, we built that!’ Forest Lake high school students get paid work experience through Career Launch class

St. Paul high school 4-year graduation rate drops amid slight statewide decline