People: Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations

Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations

Balcom Agency recently hired three new team members: accounts payable coordinator Norma Ramos,media buyer and planner Alexa MacMillan and junior writer and proofreader Zach Hale.

Ramos has more than 20 years of experience in accounts payable and billing. Ramos previously worked at RadioShack, where she managed accounts payable for the company’s advertising department, revised copy for broadcast spots and processed invoices of talent and production teams. MacMillan comes to Balcom from Insight Creative Group in Oklahoma City, where she managed media needs for clients in the health care and retail industries. She also previously was a media buyer for Braum’s Inc., where she negotiated multimedia purchases for the chain throughout the Midwest market. A former journalist and editor for several publications, Hale has more than seven years of writing and editing experience. Before joining Balcom, Hale was co-founder and editor-in-chief of Oxford Karma, a blog focused on arts and entertainment across Oklahoma. He also was entertainment editor for the Oklahoma Gazette and a freelance writer for publications including the Dallas Observer.

Boards & Organizations

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North Texas Leaders and Executives Advocating Diversity (LEAD) elected Tim Carter, president of Southside Bank, as chairman. Vistasp Karbhari, president of the University of Texas at Arlington, was elected vice chairman; Sean Donohue, CEO of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, was elected board treasurer; and Richard Casarez, Oncor Electric vice president for Fort Worth customer operations, was elected secretary. Rosa Navejar,president of The Rios Group, serves as officer of special events and will lead the fundraising effort for LEAD’s 15th anniversary in August.

Gov. Greg Abbott appointed community volunteer and philanthropist Mary Louise Albritton to Humanities Texas for a term to expire on Dec. 31, 2016. Albritton is a member of the National Rifle Association and the Junior League of Fort Worth. She also is a supporter of The Gatehouse, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the Alzheimer’s Association.

With the untimely death of board Chairman Cathy Hirt, the Foundation for the Young Women’s Leadership Academy of Fort Worth has elected Debby Stein as chairman. Other officers include Vice Chairman Daphne Brookins, Secretary Haily Summerford, Treasurer Sharon Croxton and Past Chairman Deborah Ferguson. Members are Chelsea Alexander, Tracey Amaya, Renee Baker Arrington, Jennifer Giddings Brooks, Lisa Dryden, Monica Fowler, Charlene Hurst, Tiesa Leggett, Tanya Hart Little, Winjie Tang Miao, Whitley Poyser, Betsy Romero, Tiffany Smith, Angel Williams and YWLA Principal Mia Hall. Michael Steinert and Shane Woods represent the Fort Worth Independent School District, the foundation’s public partner. Lynn McBee and Patty Leyendecker, chief executive officer and chief development officer, respectively, represent the Young Women’s Preparatory Network, the founding organization of YWLA and its six sister schools located throughout Texas.

Health Care

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The Weatherford Rehabilitation Hospital recently celebrated its grand opening, and its health care management firm, Maxim Management Group, announced the hospital’s newest hires. Colt Hatcher has been named CEO, Christi Mills is director of therapy services, James Rodriguez is director of plant operations, Dr. Kenneth Buley is director of rehabilitation services and Dr. Nusrat Khan is director of medicine. Drs. Sumant Kumar and Tom Tarkenton also have been appointed to the medical staff. Pulmonologist Olusegun Oseni will serve as a consultant physician.

Honors & Awards

Two University of Texas at Arlington civil engineers, professor emeritus Syed Qasim and senior lecturer Yvette Pearson Weatherton, have been elected Fellows of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Qasim, who spent more than 45 years as an educator and researcher, joined the College of Engineering in 1973 and retired in 2007. He was awarded emeritus status later that year. He is a recognized authority on water and wastewater quality and treatment and has written several award-winning books on those subjects. Qasim received several honors during his career at UT Arlington, including Distinguished Research awards, Excellence in Research awards and a Fulbright Fellowship. Pearson Weatherton is a program director at the National Science Foundation in Arlington, Virginia. She joined UT Arlington as a senior lecturer in the Civil Engineering Department in 1997 and has been associate chairman of the department since 2011. Previously she was an associate professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Southern University from 1995-2007. She is a registered professional engineer in Louisiana and a program evaluator for the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology Inc.).

North Hills Hospital achieved Pathway to Excellence designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. The designation substantiates the professional satisfaction of nurses at North Hills and identifies it as one of the best places to work. It is the third re-designation for the hospital.

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Methodist Mansfield Medical Center and North Hills Hospital have been recognized as 2014 Top Performers on Key Quality Measures by The Joint Commission. This is the fourth year both hospitals have been recognized as Top Performers.

Law

C. Bart Johnson and Caroline M. Cyrier are new associates of Harris, Finley & Bogle PC. Johnson joined the oil and gas section, where he will represent operators and landowners in matters related to ownership rights, title examination, leasing and related issues. Cyrier joined the litigation section, where she will practice primarily civil and commercial litigation.

Laura Frase, of counsel, and Joshua D. Ross, associate, joined Cantey Hanger LLP. Frase is a litigator specializing in products liability, mass tort, premises liability and general insurance defense litigation. She serves as national coordinating counsel/regional counsel in mass tort claims and as negotiation/settlement counsel. Ross will practice general civil litigation, health law and white collar defense litigation. He spent more than 11 years as a state prosecutor for Tarrant County. He was responsible for handling thousands of cases, from the initiation of judicial proceedings to final resolution, while assigned to numerous divisions and special units. As an assistant criminal district attorney in the Misdemeanor Trial Division, Family Violence Unit, Felony Trial Division, Juvenile Division and the Gang/Homicide Unit, he tried more than 70 cases to jury verdict.

Real Estate

A new Fort Worth commercial real estate brokerage had been launched by Jerry Bolz and Tim Bates. Worth Commercial Real Estate will serve Fort Worth and surrounding areas with office leasing; tenant representation of office, retail and warehouse businesses; and brokering sales of commercial investment properties. Bates has been working in real estate for more than 10 years, running the custom home building/remodeling company Glendarroch Homes. He will continue to work at Glendarroch Homes and will split time with Worth Commercial. Bolz has worked in commercial real estate for 12 years after spending 10 years as a teacher and coach at Providence Christian School and Dallas Can! Academy.

Restaurants

Recent promotions at Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group Inc. include Ray Risley to senior vice president of operations of all the Del Frisco’s Grille operations across the country, Kim Owens to vice president of operations for Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House, Shang Skipper to vice president of operations for Del Frisco’s Grille, and Chris Rockwood to vice president of operations for Sullivan’s Steakhouse.

Risley has been with Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group for more than 17 years and was a member of the team that developed the Grille concept. He most recently was vice president of operations for Sullivan’s Steakhouse. He also previously was the opening regional manager for the first Del Frisco’s Grille restaurants, located in New York and Dallas. Owens has more than 15 years with the company and was the first regional manager for Del Frisco’s. Skipper has nearly 14 years with the company, having served as regional manager for the Grille concept for the last several years. Rockwood has more than 17 years with Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group and has focused on the Sullivan’s brand.

Send newsmakers to Betty Dillard at bdillard@bizpress.net