University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire

Karri Meinen started 195 of 196 games during a brilliant four-year career that saw her earn NFCA Third Team All-American honors as a freshman and play on two teams that finished fourth in the NCAA tournament. The left-handed rightfielder is one of the few players in school history who have received NFCA All-American recognition. The Circle Pines, Minnesota Centennial grad, who played on an All-State team, stepped into the starting lineup as a freshman and never relinquished her spot. A .303 career hitter, at the time of her induction Meinen held the school record for games played (196) and at bats (627). She was eighth in career hits (190) and third in runs scored (139). She was third in career walks drawn (79) while striking out just 41 times. Meinen was All-Conference, All-Region and NFCA Third Team All-American as a freshman when she batted .388. She was a team captain twice and was named to the NCAA Regional All-Tournament team and the NCAA Nationals All-Tournament team in 1999. Meinen played on the two winningest teams in school history as both the 1998 and 1999 teams won 40 games. In her four seasons, the Blugolds were 144-53 overall, 27-5 in league play and won three conference tournament championships. In both 1999 and 2000, the Blugolds placed fourth in the NCAA national tournament. An outstanding student, Meinen was the WIAC Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete Award winner for softball and an NFCA All-American Scholar-Athlete in 2000. 

Before she graduated with an accounting degree in 2000, she had already landed a position with the Big 8 accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche. She stayed with the firm for nearly 10 years, becoming a senior manager, before leaving in February, 2010 to join Medtronic. At her induction, she was the Financial Controller for Medtronic’s Latin America business which is based near Miami, Florida. Medtronic is among the world’s largest medical technology, services, and solutions companies with its headquarters in Dublin, Ireland and operational headquarters in Fridley, Minnesota. During Meinen’s tenure at Medtronic, she has participated in multiple leadership programs, including being 1 of 18 leaders nominated globally for a Medtronic Leadership Award. In addition, she was a 2016 Star of Excellence Nominee for her involvement in the integration of the acquisition of Covidien plc. This is an award that recognizes employees’ unwavering commitment to the highest quality in products, processes, and services, as well as excellence in products, services, and business models that deliver critical innovations to market. 

From 2008 through 2015, Meinen was a Volunteer Board and Finance Committee Member for Prepare + Prosper (formerly AccountAbility Minnesota).  Prepare + Prosper provides free tax prep and other financial services for hardworking individuals, families, and the self-employed in Minnesota. At the time of her induction, she and her husband Lance were parents of two children.