After 16 years of service, LuAnn Gaskill has decided to move on and up in her career.

Gaskill, executive officer of the textiles and clothing department, is leaving Iowa State in July for a position at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va. She will serve as the head of the school’s Near Environments department.

“This opportunity came about that had all the right elements,” Gaskill said.

Gaskill’s administrative duties will expand to include interior design, financial resource management and housing and residential property management, as well as textiles and clothing.

The position also comes with a full professorship and will move Gaskill, her husband and their two children, closer to relatives.

“Basically, I’m leaving for all the right reasons,” she said. “Things fell into place as I began thinking long term about my career and the direction I wanted it to take.”

While at Iowa State, Gaskill helped start a statewide symposium with other Iowa universities, including the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa. During the program, faculty come together once a year to talk about small business and entrepreneurship in Iowa.

Gaskill was also involved with international travel while at Iowa State. She visited Holland and Malaysia, where she worked with her colleagues in the Department of Economic Development, helping with initiatives in Malaysia.

She also went with several colleagues to Stellenbosch University in Stellenbosch, South Africa, where they looked at business education programs.

Suzanne Hendrich, associate dean for undergraduate programs and educational technology in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, accompanied Gaskill to South Africa.

“She’s been a great leader for the department,” Hendrich said. “She’s incredibly well organized.”

Hendrich also said Gaskill is adept at interacting with people; she’s supportive and willing to help.

Gaskill said she will miss the ISU faculty when she goes to Virginia.

“They’re my friends. They’re also my colleagues,” she said. “I’m going to miss their support because I don’t think I’ll ever find that again in my career. It’s been a tremendous opportunity to work with this group.”

She said she hopes to apply what she has learned from her ISU colleagues in her new position.

“I hope I remember all the lessons learned,” she said. “If I keep these lessons in the back of my mind, my future will be as strong as the past has been.”

The textiles and clothing department is currently conducting a national search for Gaskill’s replacement.

“[The national search] tells you what esteem they have for her,” Hendrich said.

Gaskill’s resignation date is July 1, and she will begin her new position July 15.