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Originally published April 2008

Montgomery College has hired Thomas Tucker as interim director of government relations. Tucker has more than 12 years of experience in government and community relations, including the past three years as manager of public affairs for Washington Gas.

iBiquity Digital Corp., the developer of digital HD Radio technology for AM and FM broadcasting, has hired James Stocks II as director of retail marketing. His responsibilities will include retail product launches, promotions and point-of-purchase materials. Stocks was vice president of sales for MyerEmco, a retail chain that specializes in high-end audio and video equipment sales and installation.

Terry D. Portis is the new director of the Center on Aging for Anne Arundel Community College’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies. In his new role, he will oversee open enrollment for baby boomers looking for new job opportunities. Portis was the executive director at the Hearing Loss Association of America.

Stephen J. Ferrandi was elected as the 34th principal of KLNB LLC, a commercial real estates services firm with five offices covering Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia. Ferrandi, who has been with KLNB for 10 years, focuses on the acquisition and disposition of the large tract land parcels for residential and commercial development. He works out of the company’s Columbia office.

Columbia-based email solutions provider Message Systems has hired Mike Petonic as its director of sales, U.S. West and promoted Kim Matz to director of sales, U.S. East.

Bradford Bank has promoted Mary Beth Taylor to executive vice president of the commercial lending department. Since joining the Baltimore-based bank in 2001, Taylor has built a commercial loan portfolio of $190 million. Prior to Bradford Bank, Taylor worked at the Columbia Bank.

PharmAthene Inc., a biodefense company developing medical countermeasures against biological and chemical threats, has appointed Joan Fusco as senior vice president of operations. Fusco hasmore than 20 years of experience in the biotechnology and vaccines industry. Most recently, she served as senior vice president of operations for Acambis Inc.

St. Agnes Hospital promoted five nurses to nurse managers. Nita Hardy, Gloria Johnson, Sherry Knowle, Nanetta Peroti and Terry Sparhawk will be responsible for managing and overseeing the clinical operations for their units, managing the budget and developing and maintaining physician relationships.
Joe McNally has joined BankAnnapolis as vice president and mortgage sales manager. With 30 years experience in the banking industry, McNally will have primary responsibility for growing BankAnnapolis’ mortgage lending business.  He comes from First Horizon Home Loan where he was district/area manager for the Mid-Atlantic Region.

Mark Heys was promoted to chief technology officer at Vocus Inc., which provides on-demand software for public relations management. Heys, who has been with Vocus for nine years, was most recently the company’s vice president of development.

Kevin Donohue has been reelected to another three-year term in the Public Radio Association of Development Officers, a membership organization providing a supportive environment for public radio development professionals. Donohue is the president of KFDMedia, an Ellicott City public radio consulting firm.

Van Eperen Public Relations in Bethesda has named Jacqueline Barlow marketing director. Barlow’s public relations and marketing experience includes working with several non-profit organizations such as Juvenile Diabetes Association, Tourette Syndrome Association and the Alzheimer’s Association.

Richard A. LaVay, a former delegate in the Maryland General Assembly, will head the newly created finance and investment division as vice president and managing partner of Hogan Cos. in Annapolis. LaVay was chief production officer with Suburban Capital Markets Inc.

Goodwill Industries International Inc., based in Rockville, has selected Jim Gibbons as the organization’s new president and CEO, effective April 7. Since 1998 Gibbons has served as president and CEO of National Industries for the Blind. He will succeed George W. Kessinger, who is retiring after 35 years with Goodwill.

Manekin LLC, a commercial real estate and residential land development firm in Columbia, has named E. Brendan Lough as a sales and leasing associate in its brokerage division. Prior to joining Manekin, Lough owned and managed the Grassbusters landscape maintenance business.
 
Owen Rouse Jr., senior vice president and a partner of Manekin LLC, has been elected treasurer of Corporate Facility Advisors-CORFAC International, one of the world’s largest commercial real estate services organizations.
 
Sucampo Pharmaceuticals Inc., a specialty biopharmaceutical company based in Bethesda, has appointed John C. Wright to its board of directors. Wright was a partner of Ernst & Young, LLP, where he served for nearly 30 years.

William A. Shafley was appointed to chief executive officer of Tactical Solution Partners Inc., an integrative homeland security technology and services firm in Hanover. Shafley brings more than 20 years of executive marketing and sales experience at companies such as Best Buy and CDW-G Inc.

Clifton Gunderson, a certified public accounting and consulting firm, has promoted several employees to various Maryland offices. Brynn Mileski and J.T. Paulk have been promoted to manager in the firm’s Timonium office. Betty McLain was promoted to manager in the firm’s Glen Allen office. In the firm’s Calverton office, Laura Vansuch and Andrew Lee have also been promoted to manager.

CresaPartners, an international corporate real estate advisory firm, has promoted Jon C. Olmstead to principal with the Washington, D.C. office. Olmstead will participate in the overall strategic planning for the firm and will continue in his role as premier advisor in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region.

International design and construction management firm Heery International has appointed Skip Parks as its Baltimore area manager. Parks has been in charge of Heery’s services on the Anne Arundel County Capital Improvements Program. Parks succeeds John Furman, who has now taken charge of Heery’s entire East region.

Michelle Deckman, founder and owner of Diva Boutique and Jessica Jordan, owner of Paradigm, have been named to the board of directors of the Annapolis Business Association.

Maxine Gowen, president and CEO of Trevena Inc., a privately held drug discovery company, has been appointed to the board of directors of Human Genome Sciences Inc. in Rockville. 

Hospice of the Chesapeake’s President and CEO Erwin Abrams was recently appointed to the public policy committee of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization based in Alexandria.

Osiris Therapeutics Inc., a stem cell therapeutic firm focused on developing and marketing products to treat medical conditions in the inflammatory, orthopedic and cardiovascular areas, has hired Dr. Jeffry Lawrence as executive medical director and Dr. Jesus Soriano as senior director of business development.

Let’s Dish, a meal-assembly company, has named Chef Valerie Harding director of food development. Harding will lead the Let’s Dish food team and is responsible for creating new menu items, testing recipes and negotiating vendor contracts. Let’s Dish has stores in Maryland and Virginia, including Columbia, Gaithersburg and Rockville.

Patrick T. O’Malley has joined Whiteford, Taylor & Preston’s Baltimore office as counsel in the business litigation section. O’Malley comes to the firm from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Netcordia, an Annapolis network automation software provider, hired Greg O’Connell as the company’s first vice president of U.S. federal operations. He was recently director of worldwide government for IBM’s Lotus Forms brand.

Commercial real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield has appointed three senior directors in the firm’s Baltimore brokerage services practice group. Matthew A. Laraway, Edward P. Brady and Timothy J. Cahill collectively have over 50 years’ experience and success representing some of the region’s most active tenants and landlords.

Cannon Design, an architectural, engineering and planning firm in Baltimore, has added two new architects to its staff. Claire Edwards, an expert in architecture, computer graphics and graphic design has joined the office as a staff architect. Rodell E. Phaire Jr., an experienced designer of higher education and municipal facilities, has joined the office as a senior project architect.