Accountant Barbara Eisterhold calls it a career after 21 years
After nearly 21 years at the College, HFC Director of Financial Accounting Barbara Eisterhold will retire on May 30.
“I’m ready,” said Eisterhold. “I put a lot into my work, and it’s time to slow down and do things that are fun for me.”
Following in the footsteps of her husband and father into accounting
The ninth of 10 children and the youngest daughter, Eisterhold was born in Detroit, where she attended Immaculata High School. She then studied at Aquinas College, earning her bachelor’s degree in accounting and business. She followed in the footsteps of her late husband and her late father, both of whom were accountants. Accounting became her passion.
“My husband Steve was very accomplished, and I know he would be very proud of all I have achieved here at HFC,” she said.
Eisterhold has three adult children, all of whom are HFC alumni.
She served as an accounting consultant for HFC (then Henry Ford Community College) before becoming an employee in 2004. During her time at the College, Eisterhold has held several positions:
- Accounting Manager (2004-14)
- Accounting Supervisor (2014-16)
- Accounting Coordinator (2016-21)
- Director of Financial Accounting (2021-25)
“It’s just been very, very rewarding and I’ve enjoyed my time here at the College,” she said.
Great working relationships
Eisterhold reports to HFC Vice President of Financial, Facilities, IT, and Auxiliary Services John Satkowski, who is also retiring this spring.
“It’s been a pleasure working for John,” said Eisterhold. “He always gave us a lot of latitude in terms of how we accomplish things. He has been the best boss I have had in my career. He is a great leader, has a great personality, and has been so supportive over the years.”
Not surprisingly, the best part of Eisterhold's job has been the people she’s worked with over the past 21 years.
“We have a great team here. So many people have come and gone through this department during my time at the College. We’ve always had a good group of people,” she said. “I will miss the relationships I’ve made with the people here. Some of them I hope to have as lifelong friends. It’s been a real joy.”
“We will miss Barb,” said HFC Accountant Kim Perlongo. “She’s one of the best bosses I ever had.”
HFC Accountant Melissa Kurtz agreed.
“Barb has been a great colleague over the four years I've been here,” said Kurtz. “She is extremely knowledgeable in general accounting and also the financial structure within the College. We are losing a rich resource, but everyone wishes her well in retirement. I’m sure she’ll be going on plenty of cruises, which she loves so much!”
A note about retiree stories
We value the contributions of all our retirees. When we become aware of a colleague's official intent to retire, we reach out to them to ask if we can write a story about them, to share their contributions and allow others to recognize and appreciate them. Some of our retirees decline to participate in the retiree story series. We respect their wishes and their privacy. If there is a retiree whom you want to see recognized in this series, you can talk to that person, or reach out to HFC Communications. We will let you know if the person has declined to have a story published. In some cases, we might not be aware of their plans to retire.
—HFC Marketing and Communications