New Vice President for Finance Settles In

Born and raised in the Midwest, Keith Archer already feels comfortable in Grinnell. “It’s a really good fit,” he says. 

Archer, Grinnell’s new vice president for finance and treasurer, began work July 2. He oversees the College’s financial operations, human resources, facilities management, risk management, and auxiliary services. He came from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, where he served as vice president for finance and administrative services for three years.

Archer’s 35 years of professional experience is diverse. “It helps me to understand my different areas of responsibility,” he says. 

He started his career in retail management at Walmart and later worked in real estate management, manufacturing compliance, and public accounting before moving into higher education in 2005. At DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, he was executive director of finance and controller. He is a certified public accountant.

Archer was a first-generation college student who earned an associate’s degree in chemistry and math and later a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Maryville University in St. Louis. While working on his bachelor’s, he also worked full time and was raising two children with his wife Melissa Archer. 

The liberal arts and being a lifelong learner are things he appreciates. “I saw good things going on here,” he says, “things I wanted to be a part of and support.”