Erin Trapp is on a two-month unpaid leave from her job as MSU Denver’s vice president of advancement and external relations to lead Denver’s Biennial of the Americas after the departure of the event’s director.

Trapp, who joined MSU Denver last January, has cut back on her duties as VP until Jan. 31 and her leave may be extended through Feb. 28. She will oversee the staff and plans for this summer’s Biennial, which will celebrate the culture, ideas and people of the Western Hemisphere. The lecture and public discussion part of the event will be July 16-19, while art exhibits will remain on display until Labor Day.

The previous director, Abaseh Mirvali, left the Biennial last month.

MSU Denver is a partner of the event, which will include a presentation on water and sustainability by Tom Cech, director of the One World One Water Center for Urban Water Education and Stewardship, Trapp says. She anticipates the University will contribute other intellectual resources to the Biennial as well, further raising MSU Denver’s visibility. Trapp, who helped launch the first Biennial in 2010, is on its board of directors and plans to stay involved with the 2013 event after her leave ends.

Trapp worked for Mayor John Hickenlooper and former Mayor Guillermo Vidal as the deputy chief of staff. She was the director of the Denver’s Office of Cultural Affairs and served as the director of commercial strategy at Denver International Airport.

At MSU Denver, Trapp is the chief advancement officer and executive director of the MSU Denver Foundation and oversees the departments of development, grants and sponsored programs, and alumni relations. During her leave, she will continue to be available for critical University matters.

“I’m really grateful to MSU Denver for allowing me to help with this important event,” she says. “And I do think it will yield important benefits for the University.”