Two veteran administrators will head areas created from what was formerly the Division of Business Affairs.

The new functional areas are Administrative Affairs, to be headed by Gaddis Hunt as chief administrative officer; and Budget and Finance, to be headed by Daniel Bryant as chief budget and financial officer. Both Hunt and Bryant will serve as members of the top-level university leadership team.

President Malcolm Portera said the restructuring eliminates the position of vice president for business affairs, which had been vacant since August.

"During recent months, as it became increasingly clear that the university must make every effort to achieve the most efficient use of its resources, it also was apparent that we are fortunate to have highly effective and capable leadership within the institution," Portera said.

"Gaddis Hunt and Daniel Bryant each have many years of experience at Mississippi State and have demonstrated that they provide the quality of leadership we need in these key positions," he said.

The area of Administrative Affairs includes Human Resources Management, directed by Ann Bell, and Physical Resources, which includes Campus Landscape, Custodial Services, Dining Services, Facilities Use, Laundry, Physical Plant, and Transportation Services. Directors of the several units that make up Physical Resources will report directly to Hunt, except that Custodial Services will continue to report to Wayne Reed, now assistant chief budget and financial officer.

Budget and Finance includes the Office of the Controller (formerly Comptroller) and Treasurer, directed by Wayne Bland, and Business Resources, which includes Accounts Payable, the MSU Bookstore, Mail Services, Office Supply Store, Printing, Procurement and Contracts, Property Control, and Receiving. The units in Business Resources, along with Custodial Services, report to Wayne Reed.

Hunt, a veteran of more than 30 years in management roles at the university, had been associate vice president for business affairs since 1995 and interim vice president for business affairs since August.

He began his MSU career in 1966 as program director of the Colvard Union and has served as director of facilities use and director of Humphrey Coliseum, director of support services, and director of physical resources. He holds bachelor's degrees in political science and management and a master's degree in counselor education from MSU.

Bryant worked at Mississippi State from 1965 to 1993, serving as fiscal officer of the Mississippi Cooperative Extension Service during much of that time and as comptroller and treasurer for the university from 1988 to 1993.

He had been a manager for a private accounting firm and was a self-employed certified public accountant when he rejoined the university last fall. He holds a bachelor's degree in accounting and an MBA from Mississippi State.