Vice President and University Secretary Gary Hauk has been appointed by President Jim Wagner to a new position as vice president and deputy to the president, Wagner announced June 8. The move will be effective as soon as a successor to Hauk in the secretary's office can be found.

Hauk, who earned his Ph.D. from Emory, became assistant university secretary in 1988 before having the "assistant" removed three years later. In addition to traditional secretarial duties, most of which involve serving in a liaison capacity between the administration and the Board of Trustees (BOT), Hauk increasingly became ade facto chief of staff for presidents Jim Laney, Bill Chace and now Wagner.

To that end, Hauk said he and Wagner began having discussions about a new role soon after the president arrived on campus last fall.

"Working with the board has been challenging, invigorating, fascinating and rewarding, but after 13 years I've begun to feel it's time for somebody else to take on that role," Hauk said. "It is going to require a lot more time and attention as the board becomes more engaged with strategic planning and the comprehensive campaign."

In his new position, Hauk will serve three basic functions: first, to act as a representative for the president and the President's Cabinet in a range of University functions; second, to develop an enhanced communications role out of the president's office; and third, to strengthen Emory traditions and community ties in a variety of capacities.

"As the University pursues its vision through a new strategic plan and a financial campaign, the involvement and activity of our Board of Trustees will accelerate accordingly," Wagner said. "In addition, we already have seen that the synergy of the cabinet members has accelerated their activity and effectiveness as well. One plus one has certainly become more than two, as they say--or more than seven, in the case of the cabinet. In short, the volume of activity within the scope of the former position description of the secretary is at the limit that one person can handle, and it is growing rapidly."

Much of the trustee-related duties, as well as other administrative tasks such as planning Commencement and other events, will be transferred to the next secretary, leaving Hauk to perform his chief of staff role for Wagner. In addition to duties such as researching and writing speeches for the president and representing him at selected meetings, Hauk will develop and write communication materials for such publications as annual and special reports, Emory Report and other campus media, and the Office of the President website. Already the author of one book on Emory history (A Legacy of Heart and Mind: Emory Since 1836), Hauk will develop and produce other publications aimed at raising awareness of University background and traditions.

"I'm looking forward to doing more writing," Hauk said. "In the last five years, particularly, my work has become much more managerial and administrative. To the extent that I can leave behind or aside those responsibilities and devote more time to the kind of writing and editing I think is important to the president's office in terms of communication, the happier I'll be."

"Gary's special gifts for communication and his depth of understanding of Emory structure, policy, people, history and tradition make him especially well suited [for this role]," Wagner said. "Service, support and coordination of [BOT] activities will remain the position description of the new secretary--and it will give that person plenty to do."

Wagner himself is conducting the search for the new secretary, using the BOT executive committee as an advisory group since the position reports jointly to the president and the board. The position description calls for a master's degree (doctorate preferred) and an intimate knowledge of Emory. Hauk said the goal is to identify a new secretary before fall semester.