DENVER — April Giles has been named president and chief executive of the Colorado Bioscience Association after having served as its executive vice president for two and a half years.

Her promotion was announced Wednesday by association board chairman Steve Orndorff, president and chief executive of Ariel Pharmaceuticals.

Giles will succeed Holli Riebel at the association's helm. Riebel resigned in June to become chief operations officer at the Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce.

Giles joined the association as director of operations in 2006, after having served five years as an executive assistant to the University of Colorado-Boulder Board of Regents.

The Denver-based not-for-profit association shapes policies and develops programs to help Colorado's bioscience and medical-device companies.