Tim Gunn is the Chief Creative Officer at Liz Claiborne Inc., having joined the company on March 5, 2007, in an effort to show the world that the company is serious about returning to its roots and focusing on product and design. As CCO, Gunn leads an ongoing campaign to restore a culture that welcomes the creative process, helps to shape a more consistent and compelling product, and attracts and retains the best design and merchandising talent. Formerly, Gunn served as Chair of the Department of Fashion Design at Parsons The New School for Design, and was a vital part of the Parsons community for more than 23 years. Appointed to the position in August 2000, he was charged with retooling and invigorating the curriculum for the 21st century. Under Gunn's direction, the department strengthened its position as the indisputable leader in fashion design education in America and as one of only a handful of leading programs in the world. Prior to his appointment as chair of the fashion design program, Gunn spent most of his career at Parsons as Associate Dean of the school. In that capacity, he worked closely with the academic departments and helped develop programs and relationships abroad, including the international spectrum of Parsons affiliates in Paris, Korea, Japan and the Dominican Republic. Gunn has garnered critical acclaim for his role on Bravo's Emmy-nominated Project Runway, where he has acted as mentor to the budding designers every season. The Advocate magazine labeled Gunn "the sanest man in reality television" in a March 2006 article, and Entertainment Weekly called him "a major arbiter of style" in June 2006.