11 Aug Larson hired as NDUS Vice Chancellor for Operations
BISMARCK, N.D. – North Dakota University System (NDUS) has hired Meredith Larson for the position of Vice Chancellor for Operations/Chief Operating Officer beginning Aug. 11. She will report to Interim Chancellor Brent Sanford.
“Meredith brings nearly two decades of public service and a distinguished legal career to this key leadership role. She currently serves as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of North Dakota and as legal counsel to the State Board of Higher Education (SBHE). In these roles, she has advised the SBHE and multiple NDUS institutions on legal matters spanning compliance, employment law, governance, open records and meetings, and risk management. We look forward to her leadership and the positive impact she will bring to the North Dakota University System,” said Sanford.
Larson is a two-time graduate of the University of North Dakota, earning her undergraduate in psychology and her Juris Doctor in 2006. She began her legal career at the Grand Forks County State’s Attorney’s Office, where she spent over 15 years as a prosecutor focused on interpersonal crimes and served as legal advisor on major civil initiatives — including the development of Grand Sky, the region’s pioneering drone technology park.
“I am deeply honored to join the North Dakota University System in this leadership capacity and grateful for the trust placed in me by the SBHE and Interim Chancellor Sanford. Throughout my career, I have believed in the power of public service to shape lives and strengthen communities. I look forward to working alongside our dedicated leaders, educators, and staff to support and advance the strategic mission, vision, and values of the SBHE and NDUS,” Larson said.
In addition to her legal and public service career, Larson is committed to community engagement and education. She has served as an adjunct professor at the University of North Dakota School of Law, where she taught Trial Advocacy and Domestic Violence Law, and continues to lecture at law schools across the country. Her volunteer service is reflected in leadership roles with organizations including the Grand Forks County Bar Association, the North Dakota State’s Attorneys Association, the Grand Forks Rotary Club, the North Dakota Bar Foundation, and the Community Violence Intervention Center.
Larson lives in Grand Forks, North Dakota, with her husband, Joel, and their three children.