Meredith E. Gibbs, executive vice president and chief of staff at Wayne State University, has assumed additional responsibilities overseeing the university's Division of Development and Alumni Affairs on an interim basis. Gibbs will also serve as interim president of the Wayne State University Foundation. President Irvin D. Reid made the announcement.

Gibbs' appointment follows the resignation of Gary Rounding, former vice president for development and alumni affairs, who accepted a position as senior vice president of philanthropy at Henry Ford Health System.

According to Reid, a national search for candidates will not be initiated at this time "given the progress we have made with Wayne First, our $500 million capital campaign, and the need to continue the momentum we have started with this important initiative," Reid said. "I am confident that Meredith will forge the stability and continuity that will be needed to achieve our advancement goals at Wayne State University," Reid added.

As executive vice president and chief of staff, Gibbs' oversees 227 employees in human resources, business operations, public safety, internal audit, marketing and communications and athletics. A staff of 62 comprises the Division of Development and Alumni Affairs.

Gibbs began her career at Wayne State University as chief of staff in 1998, and was promoted to executive vice president in 2000. Prior to joining the university, she served in several state government positions including assistant secretary for policy coordination and chief of staff with the Maryland department of labor, licensing and regulation; assistant attorney general with the Maryland departments of the environment and natural resources, and director of intergovernmental relations for the department of natural resources. Prior to her state government appointments, she was in private practice with a Maryland firm.

Gibbs earned a law degree from Columbia University School of Law and a bachelor's degree in sociology from Rice University.

Wayne State University is a premier institution of higher education offering more than 350 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to more than 33,000 students in metropolitan Detroit.

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