Michigan State University has chosen its new acting secretary of the Board of Trustees.
Nakia White Barr will replace Bill Beekman starting Tuesday, with the board finalizing her appointment at its Aug. 31 meeting, MSU Interim President John Engler said in a press release.
“I am excited to fill this key role and serve the university in this new capacity,” Barr said. “I look forward to working closely with the President’s Office and Board of Trustees to accomplish their goals.”
Barr's role will include administrative duties for board meetings, along with university ordinances, policies and courtesies, according to the release.
She has worked at MSU since 2014, when she joined the Office of General Counsel, according to the release.
Barr also is an adjunct professor, teaching contract drafting at the university's College of Law.
"She has impeccable credentials with a no-nonsense approach to issues. She has been a valuable legal resource during this transition and I’m pleased she is stepping forward into a more formal role,” Engler said in the release.
Beekman, the former secretary of the board, became athletic director on July 16.
Barr has worked as a real estate attorney in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., and municipal attorney in New Jersey.
