Dr. Craig Johnson, President of Ridgewater College, is pleased to announce the promotion of Sam Bowen to the position of Vice President of Finance and Operations and Chief Financial Officer.
Bowen has been serving as the Dean of Customized Training and Continuing Education for Ridgewater since 2013. He previously served as the Director of Communications and Marketing from 2004-2013. Before joining Ridgewater, Sam worked in sales and marketing roles for private industry in Minnesota.
Bowen holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from St. Cloud State University. Over the years, he has gained additional professional certifications and credentials.
“Sam has a proven record of successful leadership, management and innovation for Ridgewater College,” stated Dr. Craig Johnson. “He is well prepared to step into this new role, and we are pleased to have opportunities like this to promote people from within our organization.” Johnson also commented that Bowen “brings a strong working knowledge of the college and the Minnesota State system’s finance and facilities processes and has had proven success with financial management in his Customized Training and Continuing Education role increasing annual revenue and achieving a net end-of-year profit.”
Bowen’s new position is responsible for the management of finance and budget, facilities, college bookstore, financial aid, and safety and security for the college. He succeeds Judy Tebben, who will retire on January 2, 2026. Ridgewater is grateful for Judy’s service to the college and congratulates her on her retirement after twenty-seven years of dedicated service to the Minnesota State system.
To learn more about Ridgewater College visit www.ridgewater.edu.
Ridgewater College
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Mandi Lighthizer-Schmidt Director of Recruiting and Communications
- December 23, 2025
- (320) 222-6090
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