Introducing RealTime Talent’s New Executive Director: Sandee Joppa

RealTime Talent is experiencing new growth and a season of transition early in its second year.  Jess Niebuhr, RealTime Talent’s first Executive Director, has shifted her role to that of Director of the RealTime Talent Exchange, the innovative new online job matching platform brought to Minnesota through funding by the Minnesota Legislature.

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Sandee Joppa as Executive Director of Real Time Talent effective October 17, 2016. Sandee has over 25 years of experience in Minnesota-based companies, including 10 years as Vice President/Chief Human Resources Officer for the Donaldson Company; a Minnesota-based industrial manufacturing organization with more than 12,000 employees in 44 countries. At Donaldson, Sandee led the creation of a global HR function and built organizational capacity, talent pipelines, and world class leadership development programs to meet the organization’s growth strategy. During her tenure, the Star Tribune named Donaldson a “Top 100 Workplace.” Before joining Donaldson, Sandee worked at General Mills for 16 years in corporate recruiting, human resource manager roles in manufacturing plants and in sales and distribution, as a corporate diversity manager, and finally as director of human resources for the foodservice, baking products, Yoplait, and marketing communications divisions. Most recently, Sandee ran her own executive coaching and leadership development consulting company and continues to serve as President of the Twin Cities Human Resources Executive Council, which is comprised of Human Resource leaders across the Twin Cities.

Sandee’s philanthropic efforts include serving on the Luther College Board of Regents, the Luther College Audit and Outreach and Gifts Committees, and the Make-A-Wish Minnesota Human Resources Committee. Sandee has a bachelor’s degree in English from Luther College and a Master’s degree in Industrial Relations from the University of Minnesota. Sandee is originally from Moorhead, Minnesota and is looking forward to working with the various regions across the state to lead and support regional work force development efforts.

Sandee’s collaborative style, passion for work force development, and skill set in strategic planning, change management and talent pipeline development make her very well suited for the Executive Director role at this critical point in RealTime Talent’s growth. Given the importance of more actively engaging employers in strategic work force planning, Sandee’s extensive experience and connections will be instrumental to delivering the RealTime Talent mission in building the world’s best work force for Minnesota.