Avera Health names Julie Lautt as interim president, CEO

Symmone Gauer, Sioux Falls Argus Leader
·2 min read
Julie Lautt will serve as the interim president and CEO of Avera Health.
Julie Lautt will serve as the interim president and CEO of Avera Health.

Avera Health announced Wednesday that current Avera Chief Financial Officer Julie Lautt will serve as the new interim president and CEO of the healthcare system, according to a press release. Lautt will assume the role on Aug. 5 and continue with her CFO duties during her time as interim.

Lautt has been with Avera for 24 years. Prior to that, she was an audit manager at Coopers & Lybrand and PricewaterhouseCoopers. In 2020, she was named Avera's senior financial steward.

“Julie’s strong leadership and commitment to Avera made her an ideal person to see us through this transition," Sister Mary Kay Panowicz, Avera System Members Chairperson, said in the release. "We thank Julie for her willingness to step into this role. We are also grateful to Bob, who is leaving, and remain inspired by his commitment to hear and respond to the Holy Spirit as he shifts focus to his care needs.”

Earlier: Avera President and CEO Bob Sutton stepping down

Former Avera President and CEO Bob Sutton stepped down from his position in April following the diagnosis of a serious medical condition.

"I want to sincerely thank Bob for his leadership and mentorship during his time at Avera. He is a tremendous strategic leader, and we will miss him dearly,” Lautt said in the release. “I look forward to working closely with our talented senior leadership team to continue to ensure our mission and dedication to Avera communities remains strong during this period of change.”

Since earning her business administration degree from the University of South Dakota several years ago, Lautt has served on and chaired many boards and is a current board member for the Sioux Falls Development Foundation. She is also on the Bishop O’Gorman Audit and Finance Committees and the University of South Dakota Foundation Finance Committee.

Avera Health is continuing to search for its next President and CEO during this time.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Avera Health names interim president, CEO