TCU’s nursing college appoints assistant deans
Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences at Texas Christian University named two new assistant deans for three-year appointments each.
Hylda Nugent, associate professor of professional practice, is the assistant dean for administrative and clinical affairs. Nugent coordinates the clinical experiences for students in the School of Nurse Anesthesia. She is in her 12th year at TCU.
Chris Watts, professor and director of the Davies School of Communication Sciences & Disorders, is now assistant dean for strategic initiatives. In his eighth year at TCU, Watts focuses his research on laryngeal function and disorders and neuromotor speech disorders.
Nugent and Watts join Suzy Lockwood, associate dean for nursing, and Debbie Rhea, associate dean for health sciences and research.
Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations
Michelle Frith Hargis rejoined Cooksey Communications from The Summit Group in Utah to establish the firm’s Austin presence. Hargis, who previously worked at Cooksey for more than six years, will serve as an account manager. She will provide senior leadership and experience to the firm’s newest market as well as serve Cooksey’s Dallas-Fort Worth clients.
Aviation
Executive AirShare named Kerry “Len” Durr as director of managed aircraft. He will be based at Fort Worth Meacham International Airport. Durr joins Executive AirShare from Era Helicopters in Lake Charles, La., where he was assistant director of operations, responsible for managing up to 90 aircraft at 13 bases along the Gulf of Mexico, and a staff of more than 100 pilots. Durr’s experience over the past 10-plus years has been specific to Part 135 and 91 flight operations/department management. Durr has an airline transport pilot certificate with more than 5,000 flight hours of experience and more than 3,400 hours in turbine aircraft.
Boards & Organizations
Gerald McElvy has been appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott to the University of Houston System Board of Regents for a term to expire on Aug. 31, 2021. McElvy, retired after 33 years with Exxon Mobil Corp., is executive vice-president of Branwar Wine Distributing Co. He is an advisory board member of the Texas Academy of Math and Science and the University of Houston Bauer College of Business and is former vice chairman of Reasoning Mind. He is also a former trustee of the Eisenhower Fellowships, and he has served in leadership positions for the University of Houston Alumni Association, Kappa Alpha Psi Foundation, United Way of Texas Gulf Coast and the Odyssey House.
Dale W. Brock, president and owner of Visiting Angels in Fort Worth and Southlake, was elected vice chairman and appointed chairman of the legislative committee of the Texas Commission on the Arts. Brock was appointed as a commissioner by Gov. Rick Perry in 2010. He also serves on the boards of the Arts Council of Fort Worth and Tarrant County, the Fort Worth Downtown Neighborhood Alliance as president, and Downtown Fort Worth Inc. He is also a member of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce and its health care committee.
Honors & Awards
Recipients of Camp Fire First Texas’ Absolutely Incredible Kid Awards are ACH Child and Family Services, Ella C. McFadden Service to Youth Award; Retha Wilson, Like My Own Child Care Center, 2015 Absolutely Incredible Child Care Provider; Sam Teagarden, Camp El Tesoro Overnight Camper, 2015 Absolutely Incredible Kid; and Desiree Sanchez, Diamond Hill Station After School Programs, 2015 Absolutely Incredible Kid.
Retired Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey Mellinger, aircraft design liaison for Bell Helicopter’s V-280 Valor, received the 2015 Doughboy Award for his contributions to the U.S. Army infantry. Mellinger was drafted on April 18, 1972, received basic and advanced training at Fort Ord, Calif., and completed airborne training at Fort Benning, Ga. His first assignment was in Germany as a unit clerk. Upon his return from Germany, he was assigned to the 2d Battalion (Ranger), 75th Infantry, Fort Lewis, Wash. For the next five years, he served as unit clerk, battalion personnel staff NCO, machinegun squad leader, rifle squad leader, rifle platoon sergeant and weapons platoon leader. He then did drill sergeant duty at Fort Gordon, Ga, and returned to the 2nd Ranger Battalion, serving again as a platoon sergeant. He assumed duties as the U.S. Army Materiel Command’s Command Sergeant Major on Nov. 2, 2007, and retired on Dec. 31, 2011, with nearly 40 years of continuous active duty. Previously he was assigned to the U.S. Army Alaska, where he spent several months speaking to units and groups on his experiences in Iraq. Among his awards are the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal with Valor, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal and Army Good Conduct Medal.
Law
Vianei Lopez Braun joined Shannon, Gracey, Ratliff & Miller LLP as a partner in the labor and employment group. Braun has represented employers for more than 20 years, providing advice on employment law compliance and avoiding litigation. She also handles administrative matters involving federal and state agencies. She reviews and updates employer policies and procedures, provides customized management and employee training programs, and provides advice and counsel on personnel matters and litigation avoidance.
Julie S. Harris joined The Blum Firm’s Dallas office. Harris has practiced law for nine years in the areas of tax, estate planning and probate.
Material Handling
Stephanie Grant joined Shoppa’s Material Handling as chief human resources officer. Grant brings an extensive background both in human resources and material handling from Abel Womack Inc., where she was human resources director for 12 years and development and training specialist at Malin Integrated Handling Solutions & Design for four years.
Real Estate
Henry S. Miller Companies added Mark Smith, a commercial property developer, and promoted two other key executives. Smith now serves as vice president of Henry S. Miller Equity Partners. He has more than 45 years of commercial real estate experience, primarily in the development, renovation and management of retail centers in Texas. Smith also has developed warehouse projects, managed office buildings and owned and operated a real estate brokerage company.
John Downs was promoted to senior vice president of Henry S. Miller Equity Partners Inc., responsible for overseeing the management, leasing and financial operations for a number of assets owned by Henry S. Miller in Texas, Arkansas, Alabama, Oklahoma and Mississippi.
Jeff McKenney was promoted to executive vice president of HSM Dalcon Inc., the residential development group of the Henry S. Miller Companies. He is responsible for Miller’s residential land development throughout Texas. McKenney specializes in land acquisition, planning, infrastructure build-out, lot development, development management, marketing, and sales of properties and projects.
Realtor Sue Duncan joined Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty Texas’ new office in Tarrant County. Duncan serves on the transportation committee of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce.
Cypress Equities hired Lance Taylor as director of asset management. Taylor will provide day-to-day leadership and vision for all aspects of asset management; including the development and implementation of business plans for the company’s key retail assets in California. He has 25 years of experience in commercial real estate with varied responsibilities that include underwriting, acquisition, asset management, leasing, land development, receivership and dispositions. His background includes companies such as Archon Group, Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management, Jones Lang LaSalle America’s Inc. and Stream Realty Partners LP. He has been chairman of government relations for the Texas International Council of Shopping Centers since 2013.
Restaurants
Cody Lynch is the new executive chef at Del Frisco’s Grille-Fort Worth. Lynch began his culinary career as a server and a cook but received his big break when he was promoted to executive chef at a restaurant in Maryland. He continued to work as an executive chef for eight years in various restaurants along the East Coast, where he developed a passion for creating seafood dishes. He moved to Texas to lead the Del Frisco’s Grille-Fort Worth kitchen.
Send newsmakers to Betty Dillard at bdillard@bizpress.net