Interim President's Staff

Jon Steadland

Chief of Staff

Jon serves as the president’s chief of staff and provides leadership in the Office of the President. He is a key advisor to the president and University leaders as a member of the president’s cabinet and senior leadership team. Jon also oversees the work of the University Senate Office and Awards and Honors, serves as chair of the President’s Policy Committee and the University Naming Committee, and is a member of the PEAK Steering Committee and the Executive Oversight Compliance Committee. He works across the University system on behalf of the Office of the President and is the primary liaison with the Board of Regents, the Greater Minnesota campuses, University Relations, the University of Minnesota Foundation, and Gopher Athletics. 

Jon holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and communication from Luther College, a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs, and a PhD in kinesiology (sport management) from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.

jsteadla@umn.edu
(612) 626-1616

Megan Sweet 

Senior Advisor for Strategy and Operations

In addition to serving as a senior strategic advisor to the president, Megan provides leadership for the Office of the President’s operations team. She supports the University of Minnesota system by serving as a liaison to the Office of the Senior Vice President for Finance and Operations; University Services; the Office of Human Resources; the University of Minnesota Alumni Association; Student Affairs; staff governance groups, including the P&A Senate and Civil Service Senate; and various student governance groups. She also connects the Office of the President to the Board of Regents Finance & Operations Committee. 

Megan holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication studies from the University of St. Thomas.   

vande104@umn.edu
(612) 625-8266

Brianna Menning 

Advisor for Strategy and Initiatives

Brianna works within the Office of the President and across the University of Minnesota system to liaise, connect, and support the work of the president. Her focus areas are the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost, the Office of Undergraduate Education, the Graduate School, the Office of Equity and Diversity, Student Affairs, and Native American Affairs, as well as University Senate committees and graduate and professional student governance groups. She also connects the Office of the President to the Board of Regents Mission Fulfillment Committee and the Governance & Policy Committee. 

Brianna holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Cornell University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy and political science from Bethel University.

menning@umn.edu 
(612) 626-1616

Maggie Flaten

Advisor for Strategy and Initiatives

As advisor for strategy and initiatives, Maggie provides direct strategic support to the president. She serves, on behalf of the Office of the President, as a liaison with senior leaders and key partners in, among other units, the Research & Innovation Office, the Faculty Consultative Committee and University Senate, the Office of Information Technology, the Office of Internal Audit, and the health sciences schools. Additionally, she oversees the Board of Regents meeting material development and serves as the Office of the President liaison to the Board’s Audit & Compliance Committee. 

Maggie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from the University of Minnesota Duluth. 

mflaten@umn.edu 
(612) 625-0161

Angie Pesch

Office Manager

As office manager, Angie oversees the day-to-day operations of the Office of the President, including building management and security, communications, events, finance, project and administrative support to the strategy team, and supervision of the receptionist position.

Angie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology, summa cum laude, from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.

apesch@umn.edu
(612) 626-1616

Orbe Walther

Executive Assistant and Confidential Aide

Orbe holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Scandinavian languages and Finnish from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.

odw@umn.edu
(612) 626-1616

Eve Wolf

Correspondence Manager

Eve manages the Office of the President email account, working with staff throughout the University system to ensure timely and substantive responses to a vast array of inquiries. Additionally, she writes, edits, and manages other correspondence for the office, supervises the student employees, and facilitates document archiving. She has served four University presidents as writer, editor, and correspondence manager.

Eve holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in religious studies from Grinnell College and a Master of Arts degree in human development from St. Mary's University. 

eve@umn.edu
(612) 626-1616

Cheryl Brady and Gail Eckel

Receptionists

Cheryl Brady and Gail Eckel serve as the Office of the President’s receptionists, each on a part-time basis. 

umpresassistant@umn.edu
(612) 626-1616