URBANA — A longtime associate dean in the University of Illinois College of Medicine will be the new secretary of the UI Board of Trustees, replacing Michele Thompson, who is retiring.

Susan Kies, associate dean of academic affairs and curriculum management for the medical school in Urbana, will begin transitioning to the job Nov. 1, pending approval by UI trustees at their Dec. 2 meeting in Springfield.

"As an alumna, I love the University of Illinois and was really excited at the prospect of this position," said Kies, a 1978 graduate of the Urbana-Champaign campus. "It was an opportunity to serve the university at a higher level."

UI President Michael Hogan, who announced the appointment Wednesday, called Kies a "proven leader" who knows the university and has worked closely with the Urbana and Chicago campuses. The College of Medicine is based in Chicago but has campuses in Urbana, Rockford and Peoria.

"She has the benefit of knowing the university from several vantage points — as a student, as an administrator and as a teacher," Hogan said in a release. "Her skills and experience are a perfect match for this important new chapter in her distinguished career and will serve our great university well."

Kies, 55, will earn $175,000 a year. Thompson earns more than $250,000 annually.

The job does not involve policy-making, but as secretary to the board and the university Kies will be one of four officers of the board and a member of the President's Cabinet and University Policy Council. She will report to the board chair and the UI president and plan board meetings. She will coordinate agendas, maintain minutes and other records, respond to requests from the public, provide assistance and advice to other administrators, and help trustees in their work for the university.

Kies has worked at the College of Medicine for almost 19 years. As associate dean, she helps coordinate curriculum and provides support to faculty for medical education. She also reports to the accreditation committee for the College of Medicine in Urbana-Champaign, communicates with all medical campuses on policies and curriculum issues, advises new faculty and students, and develops workshops to help students with residency placement.

She is also an adjunct associate professor in the Department of Internal Medicine and a clinical associate professor in the Department of Pathology. She developed a "lifelong learning strategies" course for first-year students to help them adjust to the rigors of medical school and plans to continue teaching the course.

Incoming medical students have to take nine courses, almost double the load from their undergraduate days, and often need new studying strategies, she said.

Kies earned her master's and doctor of education degrees at Oklahoma State University.

She joined the UI in 1993 as coordinator of instructional development for the Department of Internal Medicine, and later was promoted to assistant dean of educational affairs. From 1999 to 2003, she was associate dean for academic student and educational affairs in the medical college.

Kies has also has written two books and more than two dozen scholarly papers.

Board Chairman Chris Kennedy said the search committee was impressed with her experience with intercampus cooperation, her commitment to academic quality, and her overall energy and enthusiasm for the university. The search committee was led by Trustee James Montgomery.

Thompson will retire in January after 34 years at the UI.

She assisted with the search and said she was "delighted" with the choice of Kies.

"She impressed everyone as being extremely sensitive to a variety of interests," Thompson said, adding that Kies' background in health sciences will also be valuable.

"Certainly many of the issues that will be facing the board in the future will be related to the health sciences and funding issues for the hospital and other health science areas," Thompson said.