The Wayne State University Board of Governors elected Tina Abbott and Debbie Dingell to one-year terms as the board\'s chair and vice chair, respectively.

Tina Abbott

Debbie Dingell

The eight-member board elected the two at its Jan. 26 meeting. Abbott is completing an eight-year term that runs through 2012, and Dingell\'s eight-year term runs through 2014.

Abbott, a resident of Brownstown, Mich., was elected Secretary-Treasurer of the Michigan AFL-CIO in 1999 at the state federation\'s convention in Dearborn and re-elected in 2003 and 2007.

Abbott was involved in many union activities, participating in the Community Action Program of the UAW as secretary and later District Chairperson. She also was on the Civil Rights Committee and the bargaining team of UAW Local 6000. She is chairperson of the Labor Constituency Council of Michigan and on the board of the Economic Alliance of Michigan. She is a lifetime member of the NAACP and co-founder of the Ironing Board Brigade.

Abbott is a graduate of the Wayne State University Labor School and Wayne County Community College. She is vice chair of the Michigan Democratic Party and a member of the Democratic National Committee.

Dingell is president of D2 Strategies, and is chair of the Manufacturing Initiative of the American Automotive Policy Council. She is an active civic and community leader in both Michigan and Washington, D.C. and is a recognized national advocate for women and children. She recently completed a more than 30-year career at General Motors as a senior executive, where she headed the GM Foundation and public affairs. She has both a B.S.F.S. in Foreign Service and an M.S. in Liberal Studies from Georgetown University.

Dingell is a national Democratic strategist, a member of the Democratic National Committee and has chaired numerous political campaigns. She chairs several boards, initiatives and committees and sits on numerous cultural, health, social services and civic boards in both Michigan and Washington, D.C. Much of her recent work has been focused on ethical issues and social responsibility as it relates to government and business. A known \"bridge-builder,\" she continues to promote and lead efforts toward greater understanding among the Detroit area\'s Mideast community.

As a respected bipartisan voice, she is a regular contributor to the Fox News Channel, MSNBC, co-hosts \"Am I Right\" on Detroit Public Television, and is a regular roundtable panel participant on Detroit\'s WDIV\'s \"Flashpoint\" as well as several other media programs in Michigan and Washington, D.C. She is included in Washingtonian\'s 2009 100 most influential women in Washington, D.C. and Crain\'s Detroit Business\' list of the 100 most influential women in Michigan.

Rick Nork, of Northville, Mich., and Oak Park, Mich., resident Julie H. Miller were elected to one-year terms as 2011 board officers.
Nork was recently appointed vice president for finance and business operations, treasurer, and chief financial officer at Wayne State University. He replaced John L. Davis, who is retiring after more than 25 years\' service to the university.

Miller was re-elected secretary to the board. She has been an administrative officer to the Board of Governors since 2001. Miller is secretary of the university and senior executive assistant to the president.

Wayne State University\'s Board of Governors is one of three university governing bodies in Michigan (including the University of Michigan and Michigan State University) that has constitutional independence. Its members, who serve eight-year terms, are elected by voters throughout Michigan.

Wayne State University is a premier urban research university offering more than 400 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 32,000 students.