Teri E. Geiger began her duties as director of government relations in September 2005. Among her duties, she serves as a liaison between the university and governmental bodies on the state and federal levels, such as the Governor's Office, the Ohio General Assembly, and the United States Congress.

Geiger, a 1986 graduate of Ohio University's E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, has a broad and distinguished background in government.

Since 1987, she has held positions with the Ohio Senate's Majority Caucus. From 1996 until her return to her alma mater, she served as chief of staff for the Ohio Senate. As chief of staff, she directed the formulation of policy for the state Senate's 22-member Majority Caucus and advised on legislative and political issues. Geiger also acted as the Ohio Senate president's liaison to the Office of the Governor, Ohio House of Representatives, and state governmental agencies and lobbying organizations.

Jennifer Kirksey was appointed as the Assistant to the President and Coordinator of Special Projects on August 29, 2005. Kirksey's responsibilities include managing and responding to the President's communications, coordinating and managing special projects and ongoing programs, and also responding to problems and issues presented by students, parents, faculty, and staff.

Since joining Ohio University in 2000, Kirksey has worked as a media specialist in University Communications and Marketing. In this role, she handled media relations, managed projects, and created and implemented strategic communication and marketing plans. Her experience also includes an extensive background in written communications.

Prior to her work here, Kirksey was with a financial communications firm in New York, N.Y., where she focused on national media relations. She holds a bachelor of science in journalism from Ohio University.

Cindy Cowie was appointed as Presidential Assistant in November 2005. Cowie serves as assistant to President McDavis. Her responsibilities include the coordination of scheduling requests for President McDavis and coordination of Board of Trustee meetings and materials.

Cowie recently relocated to Athens from Vermont where she worked in administrative positions at the University of Vermont for more than ten years. Prior to her career in higher education, she worked in the private sector for New England based investment firms and in the corporate sector for IBM. She is a graduate of Katharine Gibbs School in Boston, Massachusetts and recently completed the Higher Education Resource Services Management Institute for Women in Higher Education at Wellesley College.

Jennifer (Jen) Haft has been a staff member in the Office of the President since 2002. As Executive Office Assistant, she is responsible for managing Mrs. McDavis' calendar, coordinating special events at the President's Residence, and handling budget items for the office.

Jen, who holds an associate's degree in Office Administration from Hocking College, is currently a student in the College of Communication, and is pursuing a bachelor's degree in organizational communication.

Barbara Mash was appointed Executive Office Assistant in May 2006. Barb is the liaison to internal and external contacts for the Office of the President. She serves as the assistant to the President's Chief of Staff and Director of Government Relations. She provides staffing assistance to executive search committees and consultants and assists with the planning and coordination of events held by the Office of the President.

Barb began her career at Ohio University in 2001 with the Office of Education Abroad. More recently, she worked as Records Management Coordinator in the Office for the Vice President of University Advancement. Prior to coming to Ohio University she worked for a private company as an office manager.