George H. Mihalakos has been appointed as vice president for institutional advancement at the University of Bridgeport. President Neil A. Salonen said Mr. Mihalakos will lead the university's development and fund-raising division.

Mr. Mihalakos, a graduate of the University of Bridgeport School of Law and Waynesburg University, has served as the university's counsel since 1983. A 24-year employee, he first joined the university in development in 1977 as director of estate planning, working to secure major planned gifts. After graduating from law school, he started the Law School Annual Giving program and established and conducted the first Raymond E. Baldwin Public Service Award Dinner, now at the Quinnipiac University Law School.

"The University of Bridgeport," Mr. Mihalakos said, "set the standard for fund raising under then Vice President John J. Cox. Unfortunately, the development office was one of the first areas to suffer budget cuts in the early 1990s. This effort needs to be brought back and sustained."

Mr. Mihalakos said several factors will focus attention on the university over the next few years.

"The university is celebrating its 75th anniversary," he said. "The celebration committee is headed by Westport lawyer and former UB board chairman Colin 'Ben' Gunn and his wife, Mary.

"A private foundation has been established and my former colleague in the development office, Mark A. Fries, has been elected to the university's Board of Trustees for a four-year term." Mr. Fries is senior vice president for Beardsley Brown and Bassett, a division of People's Bank.