Pinnow’s presidency begins
July 19, 2022
The 17th President of Finlandia University, Tim Pinnow, has spent his first two weeks in office focusing on the things that matter the most – community.
On his first day, Pinnow welcomed University faculty and staff to a morning reception at the Hoover Center.
“One of the things that I would like to base this presidency on is a sense that all of us contribute to the success of Finlandia University,” Pinnow said. “I will be holding open office hours every week for faculty, staff, and students, so this seemed like a great way to kick off the kind of interactions that I hope we continue to have as the FinnU community.”
It wasn’t long until Pinnow made his first public appearance at the 47th annual Canal Run. Volunteering his time on Saturday, Pinnow greeted and congratulated participants from near and far at the finish line.
“The overriding theme of my campus interview back in April was the incredibly friendly, open-hearted people we met,” Pinnow added. “To have a chance at the Canal Run to meet even more of the community and have some conversations did nothing but enhance that perception of genuine warmth of the people in Copper Country.
“And who knows, I may have even seen a few future Finlandia Lions in the kid’s fun run.”
Pinnow, who began his career in higher education at ELCA-affiliated St. Olaf College, assumed his presidency on July 1, 2022, following a unanimous vote by Finlandia’s Board of Trustees in May. Pinnow came to Finlandia from Colorado Mesa University, where he served as senior vice president for strategic initiatives.