Angela Kates has been named chief of staff for Vice President of Administration Sherwood Wilson.

In her new position, Kates will manage the business and administrative operations of Virginia Tech's Administrative Services Division including budgeting and financial management, planning, reporting, personnel administration, information technology, and communications.

“Angela has significant experience providing strategic counsel to senior leaders, managing and analyzing performance, and leading cross-divisional projects.” said Wilson. “As chief of staff, she will work closely with the senior leadership team to oversee the operations of our division, manage our planning and budgeting processes, and improve reporting and performance.”   

Kates comes to Virginia Tech after 10 years at Aflac, a Fortune 125 company. She served four years as the chief of staff to the company’s president, whom she advised and counseled with respect to oversight of the company’s $5 billion U.S. operation. Most recently Kates was the vice president of internal communications, where she led efforts to engage and educate Aflac’s 4,300 employees and more than 70,000 associates.

Before joining Aflac, Kates held positions at Bell & Howell Publishing Systems and MCI WorldCom.

Kates holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from the College of Wooster, where she currently serves on the alumni board of trustees. Also, she earned a master’s degree in communications from Wake Forest University.

The Administrative Services Division includes more than 840 employees in business services, emergency management, environmental health and safety, facilities, human resources, and the police department. 

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech takes a hands-on, engaging approach to education, preparing scholars to be leaders in their fields and communities. As the commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers 240 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 31,000 students and manages a research portfolio of $513 million. The university fulfills its land-grant mission of transforming knowledge to practice through technological leadership and by fueling economic growth and job creation locally, regionally, and across Virginia.

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