DI People: Perot Jain, nVenue, Resource Royalty, Visit Dallas, and Hunt Cos. Make Moves

Resource Royalty Names New Chief Executive Officer

Resource Royalty LLC, a Dallas-based oil and gas company, promoted Beth Good from CFO to CEO. The promotion follows the announcement that Bob Howard would be stepping down to assume the role of chairman.

Beth Good

The company said that the management transition could be final by year’s end.

“In addition to an in-depth knowledge of all facets of the industry, Beth has a great passion for the business,” Howard said in a statement. “Beth is a talented leader and we are thrilled to have her in the role of CEO.”

Good has been with Resource Royalty for more than a decade and helped create 18 royalty offerings during her time as CFO, the company said in the statement.

“Along with my new duties, I will continue to assist the engineering team in constructing royalty portfolios that emphasize current income as well as growth. As always, our main goal is to continue a tradition of excellent financial performance,” Good said in a statement.

Founded in 2011, Resource Royalty offers private placements in the independent broker industry. It has raised more than $129 million building portfolios composed of producing oil and gas minerals.

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Denton County Transportation Authority Promotes Exec to CEO

Paul Cristina has been promoted from interim CEO to take the job permanently by the Denton County Transportation Authority.

Paul Cristina

The DTA also recently recognized the one-year anniversary of rideshare service GoZone.

Cristina was named interim CEO after Raymond Suarez’s resignation from the chief executive’s post. Christina formerly was deputy CEO, the organization said in a statement. Three closed-session meetings were held between Sept. 6 and Sept. 13 before the board officially announced the decision to promote Cristina to become the agency’s CEO position at its public meeting on Sept. 22.

“As a resident of Denton County since 2010, it’s a privilege for me to have the opportunity to lead the dedicated men and women of DCTA into the future,” Cristina said in a press release posted after the board meeting. “The team possesses tremendous expertise and pride in what they do, and I look forward to all we will accomplish to enhance the quality of life for our customers through high-quality transportation services.”

Previously, Cristina was a civil engineer officer in the United States Air Force and was the director of Public Private Partnerships at BNSF Railway Co.. His contract states his employment will last two years and two months from Sept. 22.

“The DCTA Board appreciates Paul’s collaborative communication and leadership style, and he has gained the trust and confidence of the board over the last six months,” Board Chair Cesar Molina said in a statement.

The GoZone had its one-year anniversary on Sept. 7. In that first year, GoZone provided 575,000 rides,

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Aaron Pierce

Perot Jain Adds Longtime Dallas Investor as a Partner

Longtime Dallas investor Aaron Pierce has joined the Dallas firm Perot Jain as a partner, bringing with him a deep investment background and a history of supporting the local entrepreneurial community, as he takes on the new leadership role at the early-stage startup-focused, family office-backed investment firm.

“I’ve got a laundry list of goals, but the impact I hope to make through my work is simple: I want to propel and catalyze our partners to find the highest level of success they are aiming for,” Pierce told Dallas Innovates via email. “If we can achieve that and our impact drives successful outcomes, Perot Jain will continue to be a leading investment firm in our industry.”

You can read more here.

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Apex Fintech Taps Ex-Schwab, TD Exec as Chief Product Officer of Advisory

Fintech industry veteran Jon Patullo will join Dallas-based Apex Fintech Solutions as chief product officer of advisory in the fourth quarter this year.

Jon Patullo

In this new role, Patullo will lead the technology product strategy for Apex Advisor Solutions, the advisory channel of Apex Fintech Solutions. He will collaborate with Olivia Eisinger, general manager of advisory solutions, the company said in a statement. Eisinger is responsible for the advisory strategy, running the advisory business and leading the advisory solutions team.

Patullo brings more than 26 years of experience in advisory and financial technology to Apex. Most recently, he was managing director of digital trading and wealth management for Southlake-based Charles Schwab Corp. and managing director of technology platform management at TD Ameritrade Holding Corp.

Find out more here.

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Forestar Group Announces New Chief Operating Officer

Forestar Group Inc. announced the promotion of Mark Walker to chief operating officer. As COO, Walker will be responsible for providing strategic direction to region and division leaders, deepening local market share, and driving efficiencies.

Walker joined Arlington-based Forestar in 2019 as region president overseeing operations in the east. His oversight responsibilities have consistently expanded throughout his tenure to include the Mid-Atlantic, North, and Texas regions, accounting for 52 percent of Forestar’s lots sold in the trailing 12 months that ended June 30, the company said in a statement.

Before coming to Forestar, Walker was a vice president in land acquisition and development at Arlington-based homebuilder D.R. Horton Inc. from January 2012 to January 2019. Walker has more than 20 years of residential real estate experience and has held a variety of operational roles at both public and private homebuilders.

“Mark has been a vital part of Forestar’s growth and success. He has a proven track record and a history of driving volume and revenue growth, streamlining processes and reducing costs,” Executive Chairman Donald J. Tomnitz said in a statement.

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AccentCare Hires New Chief People Officer

David Cook Jr.

Dallas-based post-acute healthcare company AccentCare announced that David Cook Jr. has been named as its new chief people officer.

The company said that Cook has extensive knowledge of innovative human resource strategies that align with the current and future goals of the company.

“I am thrilled to welcome David onto our executive leadership team with his vast experience, and I know he is excited to dive into work at AccentCare,” CEO Stephan Rodgers said in a statement.

Cook is known as a highly effective, results-oriented leader, the company said in a statement. He has nearly three decades of human resource experience, including 15 years of senior leadership experience in the healthcare sector.

“I am eager to utilize and promote the resources available at AccentCare that will attract and retain talent that will grow with the company,” Cook said in a statement. Cook comes to AccentCare from TriHealth Health System in Cincinnati, Ohio where he was senior vice president of human resources and chief people officer since 2016.

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Warren Center Announces New Chief Advancement Officer

The Warren Center, a nonprofit agency providing professional evaluations, therapy services, and support to children with developmental delays and disabilities, has announced the promotion of Asriel Eford to chief advancement officer.

Asriel Eford

The organization has locations in Richardson, Garland, and Irving.

Eford will lead the coordinated efforts of The Warren Center’s development, marketing and communications teams and will provide a strategic vision for all programs that drive advancement and communications that sustain and grow revenues from all constituents, including individual donors, corporate and foundation giving, planned giving, and special events.

“Asriel is demonstrably the best of the best,” Amy Spawn, CEO of The Warren Center, said in a statement. “She’s uniquely suited to continue the transformative coalition of local and regional support and messaging for The Warren Center. She is passionate about the mission and communities we serve and already has had a profound impact on our organization which benefits thousands of children every year,”

Eford has more than 20 years of experience in developing innovative strategies and community support for the organizations she has served, the organization said. Most recently, Eford was chief marketing officer at The Warren Center, where she led a multiyear campaign to generate interest in and support The Warren Center’s early-childhood intervention-oriented mission, resulting in a 33 percent increase in children enrolled.

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LanCarte Commercial Real Estate Names New Partner

Nick Talley has joined Fort Worth-based LanCarte Commercial Real Estate as a partner focusing on the Industrial sector.

Nick Talley

He began his career at Bradford Commercial Real Estate Services in 2006 as an associate and eventually became managing partner and senior vice president.

“Nick coming on board as a partner is an exciting addition to our team,” founder and President Sarah LanCarte said in a statement. “He brings a wealth of knowledge, relationships, and experience from 16 years in the industry. He will be a true asset to our company and to the clients he serves. I look forward to seeing our continued growth and success that will follow.”

Talley, a 2005 graduate of the University of Texas, where he was a member of the track and field team, has been listed as a power broker with D Magazine since 2014.

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Mario Centola (left) and Adrienne Gonzalez

Chuck E. Cheese Parent Company Announces 2 New Executives

Chuck E. Cheese Entertainment LLC has appointed Mario Centola as executive vice president and chief operating officer of international operations and worldwide franchise development, and Adrienne Gonzalez has been named director of international marketing.

Centola will be responsible for directing the company’s growth internationally. Previously, he was senior VP of in-park services at Six Flags Entertainment.

Gonzalez will be responsible for leading international marketing efforts for the brand. She previously worked with Connecticut-based SUBWAY, California-based Blaze Pizza and Massachusetts-based SPARTAN Race.

“We are confident that Mario’s experience in entertainment and business development, combined with Adrienne’s demonstrated results for international marketing innovation, will help Chuck E. Cheese continue its momentum of international expansion and achieve our commitment to reach 100 global locations by 2023,” David McKillips, president and CEO of CEC Entertainment, said in a statement.

CEC Entertainment operates Chuck E. Cheese, Peter Piper Pizza, and Pasqually’s Pizza & Wings brands.

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Rent-A-Center Names New Executive Vice President, CFO

Plano-based Rent-A-Center Inc announced that Fahmi Karam will join the company as executive vice president-chief financial officer effective Oct. 31.

Currently, Karam is chief financial officer of Santander Consumer USA.

Rent-A-Center also announced that its current EVP-chief financial officer, Maureen Short, left the company in September.

Karam has more than 20 years of experience in finance and accounting, most recently at Santander Consumer USA since September 2019. Karam previously was Santander’s head of pricing and analytics from May 2018 to September 2019 and was EVP, strategy and corporate development from September 2015 to May 2018.
Before Santander, Karam spent 12 years at JP Morgan Investment Bank, where he ended serving as an executive director.

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Prospera Financial Services Names New President

Prospera Financial Services Inc., a Dallas boutique wealth management firm supporting a nationwide network of independent advisers, announced that Tarah Williams has been named its president and will report directly to co-CEOs and Managing Partners Tim Edwards and David Stringer.

Tarah Williams

Williams will lead day-to-day operations of the firm and work with the existing leadership team to help achieve its ambitious strategic growth objectives, and ensure Prospera stays true to its mission of allowing advisors to experience “Success Your Way,” according to a statement.

“Tarah’s unparalleled insights will amplify the strong momentum we have built in the marketplace and drive further growth for advisors and the firm,” Edwards said in a statement. “Tarah unquestionably has the experience, knowledge, and leadership abilities to guide Prospera, and David and I couldn’t be happier to have her take on this new role. With her at the helm, Prospera has a very bright future.”

Williams is a 26-year industry veteran and has been with Prospera since 2007. Before her promotion, Williams was the firm’s chief operating officer, a role she will continue to hold.

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Pursuant Hires Experienced Leader as Executive Vice President

Alicia Lifrak

Pursuant, a Dallas-based full-service marketing and fundraising agency serving nonprofit organizations, announced that Alicia Lifrak has joined the company as executive vice president.

She brings 25 years of leadership and management experience in the nonprofit and commercial business sectors, the firm said in a statement. Most recently, Lifrak was the executive vice president of nonprofit engagement services at Gabriel Group, an OSG company.

“Her wealth of experience will expand our ability to serve a more diverse set of clients. I’m eager to see the opportunities that unfold under her leadership,” Pursuant CEO Trent Ricker said in a statement.

Pursuant said that Lifrak will lead its market expansion in providing exceptional services for a broader range of clients to include more regional nonprofits. Her breadth and depth of knowledge will be a significant asset to Pursuant as it combines legacy innovation with new approaches to consistently deliver results to its full range of clients, the agency said.

Lifrak’s experience includes serving as senior director at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, where she directed regional society programs and annual giving campaigns. Lifrak also had a long career with the Boy Scouts of America, serving as chief executive officer of the Lewis & Clark Council in Southwest Illinois and chief operating officer of the Chief Seattle Council in Washington.

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Stellar Service Brands Announces New VP of Finance

Stellar Service Brands, a Dallas-based multi-brand residential and commercial service organization, has named Caleb Ward its vice president of finance.

Caleb Ward

The organization’s brands include Restoration 1, bluefrog Plumbing + Drain, The Driveway Company, and Softroc.

As a key member of the finance team, Ward will be integral in setting the strategy for and overseeing financial planning and analysis across all the brands.

“Our recent relocation to Dallas has allowed us to attract top talent as we continue to expand. Caleb has a wealth of experience in the finance industry and his leadership skills will be a tremendous asset to the company as he joins the finance team under Jessica Wescott, chief operating officer, and chief financial officer,” Sherry Rose, chief executive officer of Stellar Service Brands, said in a statement.

Before Stellar Service Brands, Ward was director of retail production and finance at Cardinal Financial Corp.

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Tony Armer

Visit Dallas Announces New Commissioner of Film & Creative Industries Office

Visit Dallas appointed Tony Armer as Commissioner of the Dallas Film & Creative Industries Office (DCFIO). The department serves as the city’s official film commission, music office, and creative industries resource. Armer will begin his new role on January 1.

The 25-year industry veteran was picked after a nationwide search led by local stakeholders including Edwin Cabaniss, owner of the Kessler Theater in Oak Cliff and Longhorn Ballroom in the Cedars; and Jack Matthews, president of real estate development company Matthews Southwest.

Armer comes to Visit Dallas from St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida, where he has been the Film Commissioner since 2014. During that time, Armer ushered in the most productive era of the St. Petersburg-Clearwater Film Commission’s 30-year history, driving record-breaking revenue and economic impact for the county.
Additionally, he is an award-winning filmmaker and founded the internationally acclaimed Sunscreen Film Festival.

“With his extensive experience, strategic mindset and immense creativity, he is uniquely qualified to revitalize the Dallas Film & Creative Industries Office and position Dallas as a premier destination for creative leaders across the country and beyond,” Craig Davis, president and CEO of Visit Dallas, said in a statement.

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Hunt Cos. Affiliate Avanta Residential Names Development Director for Texas

Paige Shipp

Denver-based Avanta Residential, the affiliate of Dallas-based Hunt Companies, announced that Paige Shipp has been hired as director of development for Texas for the build-for-rent company.

In her role. Shipp is responsible for sourcing and developing institutional quality rental neighborhoods throughout the state, including site selection, contract negotiations, overall relationship management, due diligence, and design, the company said.

Shipp has more than 20 years of experience in the real estate industry and has extensive experience with land acquisition and development, asset management, real estate finance, and market research.

Before joining Avanta, Shipp was vice president of underwriting and market research for EHC/AG Asset Management. There, Shipp evaluated the product positioning strategy for over 360 projects in 64 markets totaling $8.9 billion to determine which projects to acquire.

Prior to working with EHC/AG, Mrs. Shipp was a regional director for Zonda, a housing market data and real estate analytics firm.

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Allen Boone Humphries Robinson Add Attorneys, Staff to Dallas Office

Allen Boone Humphries Robinson LLP announced it has expanded its North Texas practice with the addition of attorneys Clay E. Crawford, Christopher Jordan, and Jonathan Finke of Crawford & Jordan LLP to the ABHR team, effective Jan. 1.

Crawford & Jordan LLP’s legal assistants Kelli Dabbs, Marlo Gordon, and Allison Adams also will join ABHR on the same date.

The new attorneys will bring over 60 combined years of practice representing developers and water districts which provide utility and road infrastructure to developments of all types across the North Texas region. They also represent private developers in negotiations with local government entities in various land and economic development matters, the firm said.

With the addition of this team, ABHR has more than 40 lawyers and 140 personnel with expertise in the acquisition and financing of critical infrastructure facilities to serve residential, commercial, industrial, and mixed-use projects across Texas.

“If you are in the land development business in North Texas, you already know Crawford & Jordan’s reputation for excellence in representing their special district and developer clients. ABHR and Crawford & Jordan have worked alongside each other on many projects over the years and have a long history of mutual respect and shared values,” ABHR Founding Partner Steve Robinson said in a statement. “As ABHR expands into North Texas, the addition of these experienced lawyers and legal professionals brings additional depth and horsepower to our team.”

ABHR expanded into the North Texas market with the opening of its Dallas office on March 1, led by Founding Partner Steve Robinson, who relocated to North Texas to manage the office.

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2 Texas Woman’s University Chemistry Profs Honored for Advancing STEM

Texas Woman’s University chemistry professors Nasrin Kohan, PhD, and Richard D. Sheardy, PhD, have been named ambassadors for SENCER, the Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities.

Their appointments were in recognition of their work advancing civically engaged STEM learning and research.

SENCER is a project of the National Center for Science and Civic Engagement, a nonprofit organization that supports teachers and students in STEM education.

The ambassadors constitute SENCER’s core leadership, serve as advocates for civically engaged science, are committed to advancing SENCER’s inclusive and evidence-based curricular strategies, and support SENCER through workshops, symposia, conferences, and mentoring, according to a statement.

Kohan and Sheardy are co-directors of the SENCER Center for Innovation – Southwest, housed at Texas Woman’s University. Previously, they were members of a TWU group honored by the NCSCE with the William E. Bennett Award for leadership and commitment to advancing citizen science, and the American Association of Colleges and Universities recognized TWU’s chemistry and biochemistry division for incorporating civic engagement and social responsibility into curriculum.

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Art Bloodworth

IIDA Chapter Honors DLR Group Principal with 2022 Award of Excellence

The Texas-Oklahoma Chapter of the International Interior Design Association has selected Dallas-based DLR Group Interior Designer and Principal Art Bloodworth as its 2022 Award of Excellence honoree.

“Art has brought impeccable style and timeless interior design to workplaces for over 20 years,” IIDA board member Leigh Ann Cox said in a statement. “We are pleased to celebrate his achievements as a transformative leader in North Texas’ design community.”

Bloodworth has designed more than 200 bespoke office interior projects for high-profile commercial office developers and multinational technology companies, including Google, Apple, Nike, Invesco, Crescent Real Estate, Prism Health, and BNSF, the statement said. Through his firmwide role as Workplace Design Leader at DLR Group, Bloodworth influences design excellence across 30 studios worldwide.

“I am extremely grateful to receive such a prestigious recognition from our IIDA Chapter,” Bloodworth said in a statement. “Successful projects result from a great team – and we have an exceptional team of inspiring design talent that I’ve been privileged to work with at DLR Group over these many years. Together we have created amazing spaces for the many incredible clients we had the opportunity to work with.”

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CREW Network Honors Dallas Exec with Circle of Excellence Award

Dallas’ B. Diane Butler has been named the 2022 Circle of Excellence honoree by CREW Network, a professional association for women in the real estate profession.

B. Diane Butler

The Commercial Real Estate Women Network’s Circle of Excellence award recognizes individuals and companies who consistently deliver excellence, and whose efforts advance the CRE industry and show support for our mission. Inductees demonstrate excellence, integrity, and innovation, and serve as thought leaders, change agents and champions of diversity.

Butler is one of 12 industry leaders honored with the organization’s Catalyst, Circle of Excellence, Distinguished Leader, and Impact awards on Sept. 22 and 23 at the 2022 CREW Network Convention in Chicago. CREW Network’s awards program recognizes and celebrates extraordinary leadership and achievement in commercial real estate. The awards categories and 2022 honorees follow.

Butler is a longtime CREW member, leader, advocate, mentor, and donor, the organization said in a release. She is considered an expert and trailblazer in her field of valuation and she co-founded Butler Burgher Group in 1992. Under her leadership, BBG became the fastest-growing, independent CRE valuation and consulting firm in the nation. She joined CREW in 1994, serving CREW Dallas in many leadership capacities.

She was CREW Network President in 2012 and a CREW Network Distinguished Leader in 2014. Butler is a Champion Founder of the CREW Network Foundation Scholarship Endowment and a CREW Visionary.

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Nexstar Media Installs New President of CW Network After Acquisition

Dennis Miller

Irving-based Nexstar Media Group Inc. announced that closed on its previously announced acquisition of a 75 percent ownership interest in The CW Network LLC from co-owners Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global and that Dennis Miller has been named president of CW.

Warner Bros Discovery and Paramount each retain a 12.5 percent ownership interest in The CW.

Miller takes on his new job immediately and Nexstar announced that Mark Pedowitz is stepping down as chairman/CEO of the CW after an 11-year tenure.

“Dennis Miller brings a unique skill set of proven television, media, and technology industry expertise, as well as venture capital experience to the role of president at The CW. His understanding and ability to unlock value from media assets by delivering high-quality, profitable entertainment, will serve the network, its viewers, its partners and CW affiliates around the country extremely well. We are confident his background, experience, and relationships will allow Nexstar to deliver on the value of this transaction for our shareholders,” Nexstar Chairman and CEO Perry Sook said in a statement. “I look forward to working with Dennis and Sean Compton, Nexstar’s President of Networks, to build on the foundation that Mark Pedowitz and his team have established at both the CW Network and the CW App. We sincerely thank Mark for his many years of service to The CW and wish him the very best in his future endeavors.”

Miller has served as a member of Nexstar’s board of directors since 2014 and has stepped down from the board in connection with his appointment as CW president. Nexstar said it has initiated a search for a new member of its board.

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JLL Capital Markets Adds 2 Senior Managing Directors to Advisory

JLL Capital Markets has added Michael McDonald and Jonathan Napper as senior managing directors in its Investment Sales & Advisory business in Dallas

The men have worked together as a team for over eight years and established themselves in that time as one of the most accomplished office investment sales teams in the U.S. having completed over $25 billion of office sales transactions in the major Sunbelt markets, JLL said in a statement.

“The hiring of Michael and Jonathan evidences JLL’s ongoing commitment to grow our national and global capital markets businesses as well as our long-term confidence in the office vertical as a primary asset class within the commercial real estate industry,” Per Mark Gibson, CEO of JLL Capital Markets, said in a statement.

Prior to his tenure at Cushman & Wakefield, McDonald spent 18 years at Eastdil Secured and ultimately rose to a managing director on its Management Committee responsible for both the office investment sales platform across the Sunbelt as well as the overall direction of the firm and its efforts on a national and international basis. The company said that McDonald has handled more than $70 billion of capital markets transactions during his career, including office, retail, multihousing, and logistics assets in addition to strategic investment banking transactions.

Before Napper’s time at Cushman & Wakefield, he was with Eastdil Secured, where he opened the firm’s office in Texas and focused on institutional office sales and financing assignments throughout Texas and the Southeast.

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Evita Garces [Photo: American Airlines]

1st Hispanic Woman Named as VP of Line Maintenance at American Airlines

Evita Garces has been promoted by Fort Worth-based American Airlines to vice president of line maintenance, a role that gives her oversight of all line maintenance across the carrier’s mainline fleet of aircraft.

Responsible for 6,600 employees, Garces was named three years ago as the first Hispanic woman to be named director of maintenance at American. The vice president position is one of five required by the Federal Aviation Administration in order for an airline to operate.

Garces, 42, will continue to fill the maintenance director responsibilities while the airline works to fill that position.

Garces told the Dallas Business Journal that the maintenance director position is a day-to-day role while her new vice president position focuses more on long-term strategy and planning around the maintenance operations.

She began her career with the airline as a maintenance technician 21 years ago.

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Inspira Enterprise Adds Cybersecurity Expert as Strategic Adviser

Inspira Enterprise Inc. an India-based global cybersecurity services organization with an office in Westlake, announced that former IDC analyst Christina Richmond has joined the company as a strategic adviser.

Spokane, Washington-based Richmond brings years of experience as a cybersecurity adviser, including more than a decade spent with IDC, where she led the analyst firm’s global security services research practice, Inspira said in a statement. Her research coverage includes a variety of cybersecurity services and areas, including managed detection and response (MDR), extended detection and response (XDR), zero trust, risk, data privacy and compliance.

“Organizations are still struggling to bolster their cybersecurity posture even as the threat landscape continues to expand. Christina’s wealth of security services expertise and knowledge will be invaluable in helping drive our efforts to change this status quo and help more businesses achieve their cybersecurity maturity goals,” Lalit Ahluwalia, CEO and global cybersecurity head for Americas, Inspira, said in a statement.

Inspira provides unified solutions that deliver threat visibility, effective management and shorter mean time to recovery (MTTR) for companies of all sizes, with a mission of moving the cybersecurity maturity needle for both small and medium-sized businesses as well as enterprise organizations. The company said that Richmond’s addition to its roster of advisers is further validation of the company’s efforts, and she will play a key role in supporting Inspira’s mission to secure the global IT ecosystem.

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True Tickets Adds Dallas Entrepreneur as Strategic Adviser

Boston-based True Tickets announced the addition of Tessitura Network co-founder and former chief executive Jack Rubin, a Dallas entrepreneur, as a strategic adviser.

Jack Rubin

Rubin joins True Tickets as it celebrates two years of partnership with the company he created and helmed for over 20 years.

“True Tickets has radically transformed the entire ticketing industry,” Rubin said in a statement. “The company has been a solid partner with Tessitura for over two years, and I’m proud to be a part of the True Tickets journey as it continues to deliver innovative solutions that change the game for venues, patrons, and beyond.”

One of the preeminent leaders in enterprise CRM, Rubin is known for building Tessitura into a powerhouse not-for-profit global company that powers ticketing, fundraising, memberships, marketing, and e-commerce for performing arts organizations, museums, and other cultural and attraction-based entities.

In 2021, Rubin transitioned from CEO into a yearlong advisory role before leaving the company in 2022 to focus on new ventures, True Tickets said. Prior to co-founding Tessitura, Rubin was chief financial and strategic officer of Hotels.com, where he assisted in a successful IPO for the company in 2000.

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Matthew Berry

nVenue Adds NBC Sports Analyst to its Advisory Team

Dallas-based nVenue, a sports betting and technology company that is innovating predictive analytics and micro-betting, announced that NBC Sports analyst Matthew Berry will join its advisory team to advance micro-bets.

Berry will help nVenue showcase its material, advise on developing markets and player props in the moment, and support developing the future of watching and betting in real-time, the company said.

“I have always believed in the value that nVenue’s technology brings to the table for fans,” Berry said in a statement. “I’ve made a career out of giving advice, and I look forward to sharing the many learnings of my career in sports with the team. I believe micro-betting will be the next big way for fans to engage with sports, and nVenue’s technology expertise is taking this to the next level.”

nVenue CEO and founder Kelly Pracht said that Berry already “has been tremendously helpful in his advisory role for nVenue.”

Pracht said that Berry “has encouraged us to be creative with our markets and think intentionally about the future of micros. We look forward to collaborating with him to showcase millions of NFL micro-bets to fans each year.”

In addition to announcing Berry as an advisor, nVenue also is officially launching NFL micro-betting markets and has begun delivering these markets via their NextPlayLive API. Seventy thousand football markets will be available for operators and data providers each week during the regular season of NFL, the company said.

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Alkegen Appoints Industry Veteran to Board of Directors

Irving-based Alkegen announced that Rita Lane has been appointed to the board of directors of the company, one of the largest specialty materials platforms in the world providing high performance materials used in advanced applications including filtration media, battery technologies, high-temperature insulation, and fire protection.

Rita Lane

Lane has more than 30 years of experience building and leading global hardware operations and supply chain teams for Fortune 100 companies.

“Lane has been an invaluable partner to Alkegen as part of our Battery Advisory Board over the past 10 months. Her wealth of experience and guidance have been indispensable to our team and to the growth of our battery portfolio,” said John Dandolph, President and Chief Executive Officer, Alkegen. “We are delighted to have her take on this expanded role with the company as part of Alkegen’s Board, especially at this moment in our history with so many of our platform technologies set to commercialize over the next several months.”

Alkegen said she retired from Apple in 2014, where she served was vice president of operations, overseeing the launch of the iPad and the manufacturing of Mac desktop and accessories product lines. Before Apple, Lane was senior vice president integrated supply chain/ chief procurement officer at Motorola Inc. and spent a decade in various senior-level operations roles at IBM.

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HealthTrackRx Announces Clinical Advisory Board Members

HealthTrackRx, a Denton-based PCR diagnostic testing laboratory, announced it has formed a Clinical Advisory Board, composed of leading clinical experts who specialize in infectious disease (ID) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

The board will provide guidance that advances the company’s PCR testing program, the business said in a statement. The board will facilitate clinical trials to demonstrate the utility of rapid molecular testing in improving outcomes for patients with infections and combating antibiotic resistance.

“Molecular technology has advanced such that PCR results for many infectious diseases are routinely available within 24 hours, including for community-based providers,” Barbara Alexander, MD, FIDSA, HealthTrackRx chief medical adviser and chair of the Clinical Advisory Board, said in a statement. “Knowing the pathogen responsible for an infection early in a patient’s course of treatment allows targeted therapy and potentially, reduces inappropriate antibiotic exposures. I am excited to work with this esteemed group of colleagues to design studies that help our industry understand more fully the value of strategically incorporating rapid PCR testing for infectious diseases into patient care.”

Other members of the board include:

Helen W Boucher MD, FACP, FIDSA, interim dean and professor of medicine at Tufts University. Boucher is also the Chief Academic Officer for Tufts Medicine. She serves on the Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria.

Cornelius (Neil) J Clancy, MD, associate chief of the VA Pittsburgh Health System (VAPHS) and chief of infectious diseases. Clancy is the director of the Mycology Program at the University of Pittsburgh where he is an associate professor of medicine. He is a member of the IDSA Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance and senior author of IDSA’s recently published Guidance on the Treatment of Antimicrobial-Resistant Gram-Negative Infections.

Elizabeth Dodds Ashley, PharmD, MHS, professor of medicine & infectious diseases at Duke University, and director of operations and liaison pharmacist for the Duke Antimicrobial Stewardship Outreach Network. She is a past president of the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists.

Thomas M File, Jr. MD, MSc, MACP, FIDSA, FCCP, chair of the Infectious Disease Division and co-director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program for Summa Health (Akron, OH). He is the chair of the Infectious Disease Section at Northeast Ohio Medical University where he is a professor of medicine. File is a past president of IDSA and has particular expertise in community-acquired pneumonia.

Kimberly E Hanson, MD, MHS, FIDSA, professor of medicine, director of transplant infectious diseases & immunocompromised host service, and section head of Clinical Microbiology at the University of Utah and ARUP Laboratories. She served as the lead author for the IDSA Guidelines for COVID Diagnosis (Molecular and Antigen Testing).

Robin Patel, MD, Elizabeth P. and Robert E. Allen Professor of Individualized Medicine, professor of microbiology and medicine, director of the Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory, and co-director of the Clinical Bacteriology Laboratory at Mayo Clinic. She is a past president of the American Society of Microbiology and Director of the NIH-funded Antimicrobial Resistance Leadership Group Laboratory Center.

Adriana E. Rosato, SM (ASCP), MSc, PhD, director of the Center for Molecular Medicine at Maine Health Institute for Research. She is a visiting professor of medicine at Tufts University and an expert in molecular mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance and their detection.

“We are thrilled to have these world-renowned infectious disease and antimicrobial resistance experts on our Clinical Advisory Board. Their guidance will complement our expertise in molecular diagnostic test development and validation. It will also enhance our ability to provide rapid, clinically actionable diagnostic test results to providers and their patients,” Martin Price, HealthTrackRx executive chairman, and CEO, said in a statement.

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Valor Adds 2 New Staff Members to its Team

Valor, a Fort Worth-based professional service provider specializing in mineral rights management and software-based business solutions, announced it has hired two new employees: Josiah “Si” Exum, as a staff accountant, and Camille Werstak as an administrative executive assistant.

Camille Werstak

The additions bring Valor’s full-time employee count to more than 30.

“Each member of the Valor team wholeheartedly represents our core values, and our new hires are no exception,” Valor CEO Joseph DeWoody said in a statement. “We’re confident that Si’s experience will further support the accuracy of our mineral management accounting and we’re thrilled to have Camille play an integral role in our administrative department.”

Exum has more than three years of banking experience, gaining valuable critical-thinking, detail-oriented, and time-efficiency skills. An accounting specialist, Exum will work to ensure clients’ data is transferred and accurately reflected on Valor’s mineral management software, mineral.tech.

Werstak, a recent TCU graduate, will serve as Valor’s latest addition to its administrative department.