“The challenge is to ensure that the grant writers present the college in a consistent and up-to-date manner,” says Schoettler. “The grant writers know about their own programs and the fields they work in, but potential grantors also want to learn about the college and its role in society and in the world.”

Schoettler comes to ARCC from the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management International Programs. Before coming to the Twin Cities region, she worked all over the world for UNESCO and other international organizations. She holds a master’s in arts and a Ph.D. degree in liberal arts from the University of Leuven, Belgium, her home country.

“Preparation is vital,” Schoettler says of her new position. “The competition for grants is tough and we need to be realistic and know that we can not always get a grant. That said, there are a lot of opportunities out there.”

Intense competition for grants or not, Schoettler has goals.

“I hope to contribute to the creation of new programs that would not be possible without a grant,” says Schoettler. “For example, in a previous position, I found it very rewarding to assist with a grant that allowed people from developing countries, who had never left their village, come to the U.S., learn how to improve agriculture and return to their country with the knowledge to triple production.”

For more information about Anoka-Ramsey Community College relationship-building activities, please contact the Director of Institutional Advancement, Evelyn Gedde at 763.433.1189.