Campus News

Linda Ploenzke Sandquist is the recently appointed Interim VP of Advancement and a 1985 RU graduate. Sandquist shared her thoughts on her new position at RU and on Women’s History Month in general.  

How has your career brought you to your present-day role as Interim VP of Advancement? 

I came to my role as Interim VP of Advancement through a series of incidents in my life, some planned and some unplanned. My mother suggested I go to Rockford College because she wanted to keep me close to our home in Loves Park. I met my husband at RC and after he finished law school, he was offered a job here in Rockford.  

When I was staying home, raising our two daughters, I volunteered for nonprofit agencies doing fundraising and marketing. I re-entered the workforce using those skills at the Community Foundation and eventually United Way. I was lucky enough to be on RU’s Board of Trustees when the Advancement Office was reorganized and now here, I am! 

How do you celebrate Women’s History Month? 

I celebrate Women’s History Month by taking pride in the lives of our two grown daughters. My daughter, Amy, is a hospice social worker and my daughter, Kelly, is a kindergarten teacher. Someone once told me that they were “do-gooders.”  

Currently, they are stay-at-home moms raising their own children. They will most likely re-enter the workforce one day, but right now I couldn’t be more proud of the good they did in their early careers and the good they do now helping my grandchildren feel loved and safe as they grow. 

What are you looking to accomplish in your new role as Interim VP of Advancement? 

In this role as Interim VP of Advancement, I am hoping that my colleagues and I can connect with RU alumni and make them feel a worthwhile connection to our university. Over the past two years, I have come to appreciate how valuable having an affinity for your alma mater is.  

Many alums tell me Rockford College/Rockford University felt “magical” to them when they were here. It’s my hope that more and more alums can remember that feeling and that together we can celebrate our past and ensure a bright future for alums yet to come.