Give to Bethel University
Familiar Face in Top Foundation Position
 Angella Hjelle, executive director and corporate counsel, with Chuck Stroud, controller for the Bethel Foundation. |
Hjelle becomes director after 12 years of service
In 2002, upon the retirement of David Lissner, Angella Hjelle was named executive director and corporate counsel for the Bethel Foundation. Being tapped for these leadership roles reflects Hjelle's keen understanding of financial planning and her significant abilities.
Climbing to the top—by degrees
Hjelle (pronounced "Yellee") is no stranger to the foundation office. For the past 12 years, she has worked for the Bethel Foundation in various capacities, beginning as an administrative assistant. "I was encouraged to look into PACE (Program in Adult College Education) and entered the second or third business module offered by that program," Hjelle explained. "I worked for two years as an administrative assistant and then served as controller for the next 10."
The controller is the chief financial person for the foundation and handles issues that deal with trusts, donors, taxes, investments, and accounting. During her time as controller, Hjelle took evening classes to receive a law degree. She graduated (with a focus on trusts, estates, wills, and real estate), and has passed the Minnesota State Bar Examination.
Believers, money, and high standards of stewardship
Who would find the services offered by the foundation to be most useful? "The foundation operates like a trust department of a bank," said Hjelle. "Many don't want a bank to be a holder of their trust because of impersonal service or high fees. And often older people don't feel comfortable traveling downtown to obtain those same services when we offer very personalized service and understand concepts of Christian stewardship."
For Hjelle, such stewardship requires great accountability. "As a trustee, it's important to exercise great care because you are responsible for someone's financial affairs. We have a very high standard of stewardship when we are entrusted with people's entire life savings and estates."
Special stories, special people
Hjelle enjoys the variety her position at the foundation provides. "There is something different to do almost every day depending upon what asset is used to fund a trust," she said.
Handling details of the Lydia Holm estate is typical of her work. "Other than a sister, Lydia had no family," Hjelle said. "Over a 12-year period of time, I spent many hours getting to know her, and we established a close relationship. Bethel became her family."
Holm grew up in South Dakota, became a schoolteacher, received a Ph.D., and eventually served as a superintendent of schools at a time when few women had such careers. Holm never married and embraced a frugal lifestyle. In time, she and her sister amassed an estate worth more than $1.25 million dollars. The Holms realized they had accumulated quite a bit of wealth and wanted to leave the money to a worthy organization. After much investigative work and research, Holm developed a passion for Bethel and decided that she wanted her financial legacy to benefit Bethel University students. Her gift established the largest scholarship endowment in Bethel's history.
"I view what I do as a ministry, but Lydia ministered to me right back," said Hjelle.
Working partners with Bethel University
The Bethel Foundation and Bethel University share many ties. "We have a relationship with the institution as a whole," Hjelle observed. "Bethel expects the foundation to wisely invest endowment funds and manage annuity funds. When development officers have donors wishing to establish a trust, we can serve as a primary trustee or as a successor trustee."
In years to come, Hjelle hopes to become strategically aligned with the Office of Development. "I view the foundation and development as "working partners."