Newsmakers: Advertising, architecture hires

ADVERTISING

PMG has hired Stacey Martin as its first Chief People Officer, a newly-created role to support the business’ accelerated growth and award-winning, people-first culture. Martin will oversee PMG’s people operations, learning and development, culture and talent acquisition teams, and will be responsible for advancing the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion investment and commitment. She joins the executive leadership team, reporting directly to PMG CEO George Popstefanov.

Vikki Phy  has joined Balcom Agency as program supervisor. With more than 30 years in the industry, Phy’s experience in customer relations and project management has supported ad giants like TracyLocke, Loomis and Schaefer Advertising Co. for brands such as Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Frito-Lay, Golden Chick and Dell. At Balcom, Phy will keep projects on track for Kubota Tractor Corporation. 

Fast-casual burger franchise MOOYAH has announced a partnership with Fort Worth’s Agency Habitat.  The agency will combine both strategy and analytics with content creation to transform MOOYAH’s four main social accounts: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok.

ARCHITECTURE

KAI Design has announced the hiring of Senior Project Manager Clint Ashworth, NCARB, AIA, CSI, LEED Green Associate,  at its Dallas-Fort Worth office. 

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BANKING/FINNANCE

Maggie M. Tuschinski has been named Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Officer at First Financial Bankshares Inc. .

Elevate Credit Inc. announced Aug. 18 the addition of two members to the company’s board of directors and several executive leadership appointments.

Michael Pugh and Manuel “Manolo” Sanchez will join the board of directors effective immediately. Pugh serves as CEO and board member of Carver Federal Savings Bank, one of the largest African-American operated banks in the United States. Sanchez currently serves on the board of directors at Fannie Mae and Stewart Information Services. Previously, Sanchez served as Chairman and President of BBVA Compass.

Chris Lutes will transition to Chief Strategy Officer. Lutes held the position of Chief Financial Officer at Elevate and its predecessor company since 2007.

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Chad Bradford, Elevate’s Chief Accounting Officer will serve as interim Chief Financial Officer while an internal and external search is conducted for the position. Bradford has served as SVP-Finance and Chief Accounting Officer at Elevate and its predecessor company since 2012.

Scott Greever has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer. Greever previously served as Elevate’s Chief Product Officer since 2019.

Eddie Combs is joining the company and will serve as Chief Marketing Officer. Combs previously served as CMO for Conn’s HomePlus, where he led brand and digital transformation efforts and amplified online traffic and credit applications.

Larry Browder has been promoted to Chief Information Officer. Browder previously held roles as Chief Technology Officer and SVP, Technology, since joining Elevate in 2018.

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Ron Smith,  Chief Growth Officer of Texas Trust Credit Union, was named Small Business Champion by the Arlington Black Chamber of Commerce.

The inaugural award was bestowed upon Smith for his “steadfast support of the black-owned business community” through his various leadership roles in the community and the chamber.

Washima Huq  a Business Community Engagement Partner at Texas Trust Credit Union has been named the 2021 Young Professional of the Year by the Cornerstone League.

Independent Financial has announced that Brett Walker  has joined the McKinney financial services company as a Senior Vice President, Relationship Manager for Commercial Real Estate for the Dallas-Fort Worth market.

Whitley Penn Co-Founders Jim Penn and Glen Whitley were recently inducted into the Texas DeMolay Hall of Fame.

DeMolay is the largest fraternity for young men that helps define character under the mentorship of trained advisors, selected from the local community.

Both Whitley and Penn served as the head of Texas DeMolay during their youth and were recognized for their many contributions both to the organization and the community over their careers.

HEALTH CARE

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas announced Mark Chassay,  MD, MBA, has been named chief medical officer. Chassay joins BCBSTX from the University of North Texas Health Science Center where he oversaw the university’s clinical practice group (HSC Health) encompassing 12 unique clinics.

NONPROFIT

Camp Fire First Texas has hired Jazmine Lewis  as the Council’s new vice president of youth development,  responsible for overseeing Camp Fire First Texas after school programs, school-based summer day camps and the Teens in Action program.

Prior to joining Camp Fire, Lewis served as chief program officer and interim chief executive officer at Trinity River Mission in Dallas where she built and oversaw the implementation of multiple programs designed to improve youth involvement in the community, self-awareness and school completion.

Helena Mosely, Th.D.,  has joined Child Care Associates (CCA) as its executive director of Head Start. Mosely has about three decades of experience in education spanning 23 years as a school district administrator and four years in the classroom. 

Head Start is the first U.S. national program in early education and CCA has directed both Head Start and Early Head Start in Tarrant County since its inception more than 50 years ago. Today, CCA serves approximately 1,800 infants, toddlers and preschoolers at 20 CCA campuses and partnering elementary schools with nearly 300 campus staff.

RESTAURANT INDUSTRY

Wingstop has announced the promotion of Michael Skipworth to President and Chief Operating Officer, and Alex Kaleida to Chief Financial Officer. Skipworth succeeds Mahesh Sadarangani, the company’s COO who has resigned after being recruited to become CEO of a private equity-backed company.

Earlier Wingstop announced Stacy Peterson will now serve as EVP, Chief Digital and Technology Officer and the promotion of Marisa Carona to SVP, Chief Growth Officer and Stevie Benjamin to SVP of Digital Marketing.