ADVERTISING/PUBLIC RELATIONS
Anant Srivastava and Sara Davis have joined Balcom Agency as digital marketing analysts.
Logan Gonter has joined Balcom Agency as data specialist, focusing on financial reporting and special projects for the agency’s Kubota Tractor Corporation account.
ARCHITECTURE
VLK Architects has announced that Jason Blanks, Lloyd Condon, Brad Ewing, John Novak, Rudolph “Rudy” Starks Jr., and Jim Wallace have been promoted to senior associates.
BANKING/FINANCE
Graham Marshall has joined WealthSource Partners’ Advisor Network as an Independent Wealth Advisor. Before joining WealthSource, Marshall operated as a Raymond James corporate advisor in Fort Worth.
DEFENSE
Lockheed Martin announced Kevin “Red” Smith as the vice president of the F-22 Program, succeeding OJ Sanchez, who was recently named vice president and General Manager of the Integrated Fighter Group (F-16/F-22). In this role, Smith will be responsible for the development, manufacture and sustainment of the F-22 Program in partnership with the U.S. Air Force.
EDUCATION
The University of North Texas System has announced the appointment of Dannetta English Bland as Chief Diversity Officer, effective July 19, 2021. Bland will join the UNT System after spending nearly 17 years at Deloitte, one of the world’s largest professional services firms.
Pamela Padilla, – associate vice president for research and innovation at the University of North Texas, has been appointed dean of the College of Science. Padilla will succeed the College of Science’s founding dean, Su Gao, who stepped down June 15 to take a leave of absence to care for family.
Remy L. Washington, a veteran educator with a proven track record for leading successful schools, is the new president of Uplift Education, a public charter network with 46 schools in Dallas and Fort Worth, Uplift said in a news release.
Washington will continue to report to Yasmin Bhatia, Uplift’s CEO, and will oversee both Teaching and Learning and School Leadership Teams.
ENGINEERING
DECorp (DEC), formerly known as Dannenbaum Engineering, has announced that William Gladbach, PE, PEng, PMP, is the new North Texas Division Manager, replacing long time Division Manager Johan Petterson as he steps into a new role, Vice President of Corporate Business Development, based at company headquarters in Houston.
HEALTH CARE
Baylor Scott & White, the largest not-for-profit health system in Texas, on June 29 announced its Holdings Board members have approved CEO Jim Hinton’s plans to retire from the role and transition it to President Pete McCanna, effective Jan. 1, 2022.
Cook Children’s Physician Network (CCPN) has appointed Matthew Dzurik, M.D., as its new president. Dzurik assumes the role following the retirement of Britt Nelson, M.D., who became the network president in 2009.
Dzurik is the medical director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and has served on the Cook Children’s Physician Network Board of Directors since 2017. He will now oversee the health care system’s network of more than 460 physicians. Dzurik plans to continue his clinical medicine role at Cook Children’s.
HONORS/AWARDS
Elevate Credit Inc., a tech-enabled provider of innovative and responsible online credit solutions for non-prime consumers, announced that CEO Jason Harvison has been named a finalist for EY’s Entrepreneur of The Year 2021 Southwest Award.
For the fifth year in a row, Charles Schwab has been named a 2021 honoree of The Civic 50 by Points of Light, the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service.
LAW
Former Texas Secretary of State Ruth Ruggero Hughs has joined Kelly Hart & Hallman’s Austin office as a partner in its Public Law practice. Hughs most recently served as the 113th Texas Secretary of State. Prior to her appointment as Secretary of State, Hughs served as Chair and Commissioner Representing Employers at the Texas Workforce Commission.
Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed Bryan Bufkin as Judge of the 355th Judicial District Court in Hood County for a term set to expire on December 31, 2022, or until his successor shall be duly elected and qualified.
Kara L. Karcher- has joined Bourland, Wall & Wenzel as associate attorney. Karcher is a graduate of The University of Texas School of Law and was admitted into the State Bar of Texas in 2019.
NONPROFIT
Dr. Shagranda Traveler has joined Tarrant Area Food Bank as Executive Vice President leading Advocacy, Marketing Communications, and People and Culture for the organization.
North Texas Community Foundation has announced the addition of Margaret Kramer, Director of Advancement, and Amanda Lewis, Director of Charitable Gift Planning, to the organization’s executive team.
Dallas-based Big Thought, an impact education nonprofit, announced it has received $2.5 million in donations — $1 million from the Rainwater Charitable Foundation based in Fort Worth and $1.5 million from philanthropists MacKenzie Scott and Dan Jewett.
The Mary I. Gourley Scholarship Foundation Board of Directors has approved Courtney Kimberling Radcliffe – PHOTO – to lead the foundation as its new executive director effective June 1.
Radcliffe is taking the helm from Robert Albritton, who is retiring after 20 years. Radcliffe most recently served as the executive director of the Foundation for the Young Women’s Leadership Academy of Fort Worth.
REAL ESTATE
Maribel Gallardo is the new Director of Advocacy and Community Affairs at the Greater Fort Worth Association of REALTORS.
CENTURY 21 Judge Fite Company has named DeAnne Fite as the new regional sales manager for the Midlothian Regional Office. Fite previously served as the office’s assistant regional sales manager and has more than 16 years of experience in the industry.
RESTAURANT/FOOD SERVICE
Restaurateurs Charlie Geren, owner of Railhead Smokehouse, Mark Davis Bailey, owner of the Original Pancake House DFW in Dallas, and Creed Ford III (posthumously) of Ford Restaurant Group in Austin will be inducted this year into the Texas Restaurant Association’s Hall of Honor.
Here’s what the TRA had to say about Geren:
Charlie Geren is a barbecue pitmaster, rancher, and Texas State Representative. He and the Geren family are proud residents of Tarrant County, where he serves as the President of the Railhead Smokehouse, a staple in Fort Worth. First elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2000, Charlie currently serves as the Chairman of the Local and Consent Calendars Committee. He has long been a supporter of small businesses and the positive impact they have on the local economy. Throughout his legislative career, he has also championed public safety, property rights, and natural resources issues. Charlie also serves his community as a trustee of Texas Christian University and as Vice President of the Southwestern Exposition & Livestock Show.
Other Fort Worth honorees include Russell Kirkpatrick, general manager of Fort Worth’s Reata, who is one of the finalists for the Texas Restaurateur of the Year Award. The Texas Restaurant Foundation announced earlier that Natasha Bruton has won the Educator Excellence Award, presented by Texas Beef Council. Bruton has been a culinary teacher in the Fort Worth Independent School District for 14 years.
TRANSPORTATION
Chad Edwards, a public transit professional with more than 20 years of experience, has joined Trinity Metro as Vice President of Planning & Development. Edwards will oversee planning, scheduling, government relations, facilities, grants and project management, Trinity Metro said in a news release.