Jesus “Jay” Chapa, most recently director of economic development for the city of Fort Worth, and Valerie R. Washington, deputy director and chief financial officer for the Indianapolis Department of Public Safety, have been appointed new assistant city managers of Fort Worth.
Chapa’s appointment became effective July 18. Washington is expected to take her new role in September.
They join Susan Alanis and Fernando Costa as assistant city managers.
During his nearly 19 years with the city, Chapa has served in leadership positions in housing and economic development, water department and budget office. He previously worked at BNSF Railway as director of public policy in the public-private partnership group of the railroad.
Washington is responsible for the operational and financial management for eight divisions in Indianapolis, including police, fire, EMS, homeland security, and animal care and control.
Previously, she was deputy director for the office of audit and performance. Prior to that, she was chief financial officer for the Department of Public Safety and was assistant director of finance for the Marion County Supreme Court.
Noto new Fort Worth market president at First Financial
Longtime local banking executive Martin Noto has been appointed president of First Financial Bank for the Fort Worth region.
Noto has more than 30 years of experience in the financial industry, including middle market, commercial real estate and lending. He was previously regional executive vice president/commercial banking manager for Community Trust Bank in Fort Worth. He also served locally as executive vice president/corporate banking manager for BBVA Compass, as senior vice president/regional chief credit officer for J.P. Morgan Chase, and as vice president/manager of commercial real banking group at Bank One.
Active in the community, Noto is finance chairman for the Salvation Army Advisory Board, vice chairman of the Tarrant County Housing Partnership, board member and finance chairman of the Fort Worth Symphony and a member of the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo Corporate Sales Committee. Noto also is a Founders’ Council member of the Greater Fort Worth Real Estate Council and is on the board of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce.
ADVERTISING, MARKETING & PUBLIC RELATIONS
Market Solutions hired Clay Curtis as client services manager. Curtis previously worked for Excentus, MFS Holdings and Crossmark Holdings Inc. He is a board member of Head Start of Greater Dallas and has served on the Retail Implementation Task Force/Association of Sales and Marketing Companies, Grocery Manufacturers of America Technology Committee, Customer Advisory Council, and the Nielsen CIO Advisory Council.
ARCHITECTURE
Nicholas Palluth, project manager at GSBS Architects, was recently licensed as a registered architect, Fran McQueen was promoted to lead marketing and business development in the Texas office and Maria Capota joined the firm as an intern. Palluth came aboard three years ago and has been a key team member on projects including the Tarrant County Northeast Courthhouse. He is currently working on the Trophy Club Municipal Facility design. McQueen, the former marketing coordinator, has been with the firm since 2006 and has more than 19 years of experience in public relations/marketing. Capota, a recent graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington, is a recipient of the 2015 AIA Henry Adams Medal for design excellence and academic achievement.
BOARDS & ORGANIZATIONS
Kristy L. Mouser, principal and insurance adviser with Mouser Risk Management, joined the board of Texas Center for Arts + Academics. Mouser has more than 23 years of experience working in insurance, finance, operations, information technology, and business development. Her business and civic involvement includes Arborlawn United Methodist Church, Daughters of the Republic of Texas, Fort Worth Rotary, Leadership Fort Worth, TCU Women, The Fort Worth Club, Women’s Center of Tarrant County Foundation and Women Steering Business.
Lauren G. Dobbs, a physician assistant and assistant professor at the University of North Texas Health Science Center Department of Pediatrics, has been elected to the American Academy of Physician Assistants’ 2015-2016 board, serving as director-at-large.
Tricia “Trish” Hatley, a vice president and firm principal at Freese and Nichols Inc., has been named a Fellow member by the National Society of Professional Engineers. Hatley joined Freese and Nichols in 1993 and currently serves as the regional manager of the firm’s Oklahoma office.
Fort Worth Independent School District Trustee Ashley Paz has been appointed to the executive committee of the Council of the Great City Schools, the coalition of the country’s largest urban public school systems.
HEALTH CARE
Dr. Samuel Davila, an internal medicine physician, and Dr. Diane Nguyen, a gastroenterology physician, joined USMD Affiliated Services at its Fort Worth Hogan Center Clinic while Laurie Lewis is the new chief nursing officer at USMD Hospital at Arlington. Davila received his medical degree at UT Southwestern Medical School and completed his residency in internal medicine at Baylor University Medical Center. He has more than seven years of experience caring for patients. Nguyen received her medical degree at University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, completed her residency in internal medicine at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and completed her fellowship in gastroenterology at University of Michigan.
Lewis has more than 22 years of clinical experience and 10 years of experience in progressive nursing leadership roles. Prior to joining USMD, she served as vice president of clinical and quality services at Acuity Healthcare in Dallas. Her past tenure also includes positions at Kindred Healthcare and St. Paul and Zale Lipshy University Hospitals at UT Southwestern.
HONORS & AWARDS
Lynn Lovell, vice president of Halff Associates Inc., received the 2015 Texas Society of Professional Engineers Distinguished Engineer of Texas Engineering Foundation Award. Lovell has 45 years of experience in civil engineering, water resources planning and floodplain management.
Dale W. Brock received Visiting Angels 2015 Rising Angel Transition Award. Brock acquired Visiting Angels agencies in Fort Worth and Southlake in 2014. The award recognizes achievements in transitioning the agencies after acquisition, improvements in operational efficiencies, and achieving growth in clients, revenues and employees.
Courtney Collins and the news staff at KERA won a first-ever Excellence in Consumer Financial Reporting Award from The Public Radio News Directors Inc., in partnership with the National Endowment for Financial Education, in recognition of the “One Crisis Away” reporting series, which focuses on families living on the financial edge.
The Radio Television Digital News Association awarded NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth/KXAS three national Edward R. Murrow Awards for its investigative journalism, the most of any large market television station this year. The NBC-owned station won in the Large Market Television: Video Investigative Reporting and the Large Market Television: Video News Series categories for “Injured Heroes, Broken Promises” and in the Large Market Television: Video Continuing Coverage category for “Fire in the Attic.”
LAW
Richard Y. Cheng is a new partner in the Fort Worth and Dallas office of Shannon, Gracey, Ratliff & Miller LLP. Cheng has an extensive health care law practice, with concentration representing skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, home health agencies, community hospitals, hospices and rehabilitation providers. Previously, Cheng served as general counsel and vice president at two health care companies.
MATERIAL HANDLING
Shoppa’s Material Handling added Larry Sanders as major accounts manager. Sanders spent the last 10 years at Toyota Material Handling USA, and previously served as national fleet sales manager at Yale Material Handling and vice president and general manager of Barloword/Wrenn Handling, Southern Division.
TOURISM, ENTERTAINMENT & LEISURE
Susan Mills is the new head of corporate sales at Leck Travel Service. Mills had been in sales for Dallas-based ClubCorp for the last 10 years.
Send newsmakers to Betty Dillard at bdillard@bizpress.net