Office of the President appoints new executive assistant

NEW PALTZ — Steven G. Poskanzer, the president of the State University of New York at New Paltz has announced that Shelly Wright will become the new executive assistant to the president. Wright is the successor to Gail Gallerie, who had held the position for 34 years before her retirement in June.

For seven years Wright was a public relations professor and the public relations program coordinator in the Communications and Media Department at SUNY New Paltz. She also has served as interim director in the Office of Public Affairs. Prior to New Paltz, she had worked for two years in public relations for an international nonprofit organization where she wrote and edited print materials for distribution to internal and external audiences.

She also taught public relations and journalism at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. Her professional experience also includes work as a staff writer for the Times Herald Record, where she covered municipal government, education, business and the police beats, as well as served as a copy editor, editing stories, writing headlines and proofing pages.

“Shelly Wright is someone with great energy, tact and intelligence and I’m delighted that she’s agreed to take on these new responsibilities,” said Poskanzer. “Her ability to work well with colleagues across the institution — and to earn the respect of faculty, students and staff — will make her especially valuable to me and the college.”

Wright earned her Master’s of Science in Journalism from Columbia University in 1990 and is currently pursuing her doctorate in Sociology from the University at Albany.

Wright resides in New Paltz with her husband and son.

Note to editors: A photograph of Shelly Wright may be downloaded from the SUNY New Paltz Web site at www.newpaltz.edu/experts/photos/wrightshelly.jpg.