BVU Graduate to Serve as 2024 Commencement Speaker

Jeff Anderson '03 is entering his 22nd season with the Minnesota Vikings and his third as the team's Executive Vice President and Chief Communications Officer.

April 25, 2024

Buena Vista University (BVU) is pleased to announce that Jeff Anderson, Executive Vice President and Chief Communications Officer for the Minnesota Vikings, will serve as the 2024 Commencement speaker.

A native of Adair, Iowa, Anderson is a 2003 BVU graduate with a bachelor's degree in corporate communications. He will address the graduating class during the undergraduate ceremony set to be held at 2 p.m. CST on Saturday, May 4, in Siebens Fieldhouse.

"I am very excited to have Jeff Anderson return to campus as our 2024 Commencement speaker," said BVU President Brian A. Lenzmeier, Ph.D. "Jeff's progression of starting as an intern with the Minnesota Vikings, and the story of how his BVU education and work ethic helped him work his way up to Executive Vice President, is both insightful and inspiring. I look forward to our students hearing from a role model who is achieving lifelong success."

Anderson first joined the Vikings as a 2003 public relations intern and has held several roles within the organization since then. In his current role, Anderson leads the Vikings communications department, which was named a 2023 finalist for the coveted Pete Rozelle Award, given by the Pro Football Writers of America to the NFL public relations staff that displays consistent excellence in dealings and relationships with the media. He serves on the Vikings executive leadership team, acts as a team spokesperson on business matters, and provides media relations guidance for ownership, executives, football personnel and players.

Prior to this role, Anderson served as the team's Vice President of Strategic & Corporate Communications from 2018 to 2021. He was also instrumental in the quest to build a new home for Vikings football. During the design and construction of U.S. Bank Stadium, Anderson oversaw the communications plans and drove national and international media coverage leading up to the venue's opening in July 2016.

"It is an honor to be back at BVU to participate in such a momentous day," said Anderson. "I'm thrilled to celebrate these graduates for their significant achievement and hope to serve as a source of encouragement as they take this next step in their professional careers."

Committed to building opportunities and connections for the next generation, Anderson launched the Game Day Internship Program, connecting universities with the Minnesota Vikings Public Relations Department. Since its creation in 2009, this program has provided internship opportunities to more than 125 college students, many of them from BVU. He has also mentored many of his past interns as they advanced to professional sports careers.
Active in his community, Anderson has served on the boards of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce, the East Town Business Partnership and Buena Vista's National Alumni Association. Anderson and his wife, Brittany, have two daughters, Ruby, and Isabelle.

The undergraduate Commencement ceremony on May 4 is one of two held on campus that day. Graduates in BVU's graduate school program will observe their Commencement ceremony at 11 a.m. Saturday in Siebens Fieldhouse. Dr. Rahn Franklin Jr. '08, M.S.Ed.'11 will serve as keynote speaker for that celebration. BVU's Baccalaureate ceremony begins at 9 a.m. Saturday in Schaller Chapel and will be directed by Dr. Melanie Hauser, University Chaplain, and Associate Professor of Chemistry.

For more information and event details, go to bvu.edu/commencement.