Hettich has nearly 20 years of DEI and intercultural relations experience. She has led inaugural DEI work at Diversus Health to improve mental healthcare access disparities, student-centered DEI work at the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Mayville State University and global DEI engagement through the intensive English program at the University of North Dakota. She is a member of the Strategic Planning Committee at the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, and she has also served in leadership roles at NAFSA and TESOL. In her early career, she worked as an interpreter in relief and development in Central Asia and the Caucasus.