July 19, 2023

Avera Health chief financial officer Julie Lautt will serve as interim president and CEO during a search for the system’s next top executive.

Lautt will take on the role Aug. 5. Current CEO Bob Sutton originally planned to step away Sept. 30. Sutton announced in May that he was stepping down because of a serious medical diagnosis.

Lautt has been with Avera for 24 years and was named CFO in 2020, having previously served as vice president of operational finance with Avera Health. From 1999 to 2017, she served at Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center as controller of managed hospitals, vice president and corporate controller and then as senior vice president and CFO.

Before joining Avera, Lautt served in several positions, including audit manager at Coopers & Lybrand and PricewaterhouseCoopers. She is a certified public accountant licensed in Arizona and South Dakota. She earned a bachelor of business administration with majors in accounting and mathematics from the University of South Dakota. She currently serves as a board member of the Sioux Falls Development Foundation and is on the Bishop O’Gorman Catholic Schools audit and finance committees as well as the University of South Dakota Foundation finance committee.

“Julie’s strong leadership and commitment to Avera made her an ideal person to see us through this transition. We thank Julie for her willingness to step into this role,” said Sister Mary Kay Panowicz, Avera System Members chairperson. “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.”

Sutton served as CEO for five years.

“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. “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.”