On the move – 1/13/12: Harris appointed Warschawski COO

Harris appointed Warschawski COO

Shana Harris has been promoted to chief operating officer of Warschawski, a full-service public relations, marketing and branding agency. Harris has worked for the Baltimore agency for 13 years, most recently as senior vice president. In her new position, she will take on an increased leadership role in overseeing the day-to-day operations of the agency and human resources while continuing to handle long-term strategic planning and implementation, and new team member recruitment, as well as playing a role in new business development. Harris is also a certified kick-boxing instructor.

Shana Harris

Education: B.S., corporate communications, University of Baltimore.

Resides in: Baltimore City

Daily commute: 5 minutes

Recent vacation: Ocean City

Hobbies: Running, working out and spending time with family and friends

Favorite books: Thriller/crime novels

Favorite food: sushi

Favorite quotation: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” — Wayne Gretzky

Accounting

Diana Boyd DeWitt, CPA, recently earned the QuickBooks 2011 ProAdvisor Certification designation. DeWitt is a manager in the audit and accounting department of Gross, Mendelsohn & Associates, of Baltimore.

Awards

Ben Shifrin, head of Jemicy School, in Owings Mills, recently was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the International Dyslexia Association, headquartered in Towson. He was honored for dedication and commitment to educating students with dyslexia and other related language-based learning differences for 30 years. Shifrin has served on the board of directors of the International Dyslexia Association since 2009 and is on its executive board of directors. Before becoming head of the Jemicy School in 2002, he spent 14 years as a special education teacher and administrator in the Unified School District of Los Angeles. Shifrin later served as the head of Westmark School, a school for students with learning differences, in Los Angeles. He facilitated Jemicy School’s merger with Valley Academy, creating Baltimore’s first 1st-through-12th grade school for students with language-based learning differences.

Baltimore-based financial representative Peter D. Tillinghast recently was named by Northwestern Mutual to its Forum group in recognition of his work in 2011 for clients seeking financial security. Tillinghast is affiliated with Northwestern Mutual Financial Network–Maryland.

Boards

Darrell A. Luzzo has been appointed chairman of the board of directors of Junior Achievement of Central Maryland. Luzzo, a former JA Worldwide/Junior Achievement senior vice president of education and strategic partnerships, is vice president of product strategy for the Laureate Higher Education Group. He previously was Mt. Hood Community College’s dean of career development services, and held full-time and adjunct academic teaching assignments with Colorado State University, the University of Northern Colorado, the University of Iowa, Auburn University, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, the University of Northern Alabama and St. Ambrose University. Luzzo has served on the National Assessment of Educational Progress Economics Exam’s planning committee and item writing group. He is a past president of the National Career Development Association, chaired the National Work Readiness Council, served on the boards of the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Finance Literacy and the Character Education Partnership, and held leadership positions in the American Education Research Association, the American Psychological Association and the American Counseling Association.

Harbhajan (Harry) S. Ajrawat has been sworn in as president of MedChi, the Maryland State Medical Society. In 2006 Dr. Ajrawat joined several other urologists to form MidAtlantic Urology Associates, headquartered in Greenbelt, where he is president and CEO. He has served as president of the Prince George’s County Medical Society, the Indian American Medical Society of Greater Washington, and the Indian American Urological Association of North America.

James (Jim) H. Durfee, vice president of Office Movers Inc., of Elkridge, a subsidiary of the Kane Co., recently was elected president of the Office Moving Alliance, a worldwide consortium of firms specializing in commercial relocation services, warehousing and delivery. Durfee has been a Kane Co. vice president for 28 years.

Paula Carmody, Maryland People’s Counsel, recently was elected to a one-year term as president of the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates. The nonprofit organization represents consumers in state and federal utility proceedings. Carmody was an assistant attorney general in the Consumer Protection Division, Office of the Attorney General of Maryland, from 2004 to 2007. She also has been an assistant people’s counsel with the Office of People’s Counsel, the managing attorney of the Baltimore office of the UAW-GM Legal Services Plan, and a staff attorney for the Legal Aid Bureau, in Maryland.

Peter J. Stephan, vice president, relationship manager in the Annapolis office of Howard Bank, has been elected president of the Anne Arundel Commercial and Industrial Association, which serves commercial real estate professionals. He previously was vice president of AACIA. Stephan is also a member of the board of directors of the Touchdown Club of Annapolis.

Development

Stephen Endres has been appointed chief financial officer of Mid-Atlantic Properties, a Towson-based development and property management firm. Endres most recently was CFO for Nottingham Properties; before that, he was CFO for James F. Knott Realty. Endres has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Baltimore. He serves on the boards of two nonprofit organizations and volunteers at the Christopher’s Place Employment Agency.

Education

Michael Freedman joined University of Maryland University College, of Adelphi, on Jan. 1 as senior vice president for communications and professor. Freedman previously was executive director of the George Washington University Global Media Institute and professor of media and public affairs. He has been general manager of CBS Radio Network News, leadership press secretary to the majority whip of the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. David E. Bonior, and vice president and managing editor for the Broadcast Division of United Press International. In 2009, Freedman won the New York Festivals Gold World Medal for the Edward R. Murrow Centennial radio program.

Jennifer C. Galambos has been appointed upper school director of the Bryn Mawr School, in Baltimore, effective July 1, 2012. She will succeed Susan Solberg, who will retire this summer. Galambos, who is Bryn Mawr’s middle school director, attended the Friends School and has a master’s degree in educational leadership from Loyola College of Maryland. Before becoming an administrator 20 years ago she was a history teacher and athletics coach. Galambos previously was an administrator at the Bullis School in Potomac, and Greens Farms Academy in Westport, Conn.

Baltimore County Public Schools recently presented awards to Tom “TK” Kuegler, co-founder and general partner of Wasabi Ventures, and Cindy Davis, division director of Visual Sound/Kunz AV, for their contributions to the school system. Kuegler donated the PbWorks Wiki Enterprise Campus Solution, valued at $90,000. His venture capital, incubator, and consulting firm specializes in building and advising early-stage technology companies. He serves on the board of sponsors of Sellinger School of Business at Loyola University Maryland. Davis has been in the audiovisual business for 18 years, dealing exclusively with the education sector. From 2003 until the sale of the company in 2009, she was president of Kunz Inc.; she continues in her present role as division director with Visual Sound/Kunz AV. Davis was honored for the service she has given Baltimore County Public Schools, following her father’s example in helping with audio and visual learning. She recently was appointed as the first business representative to the Maryland Society for Educational Technology board of directors.

Alan R. Fish, associate vice chancellor for facilities planning and management at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was appointed vice president for real estate and campus services, a new senior position overseeing real estate, facilities, transportation and other services at Johns Hopkins University. The appointment took effect Jan. 3. Fish had been at Wisconsin-Madison since 1989, the past nine years as associate vice chancellor. He previously was associate athletic director and administrative officer for intercollegiate athletics at Wisconsin-Madison. Fish also worked in budget and policy positions in the Wisconsin state government.

Fire Safety

Koffel Associates recently made these promotions: Patricia H. Zimmerman is now support services principal; Lennon A. Peake and Jennifer L. Frecker are now managers for fire protection; and Sarina L. Hart is now senior fire protection engineer. Also, President William E. Koffel was appointed to the NFPA Committee for Commissioning and Integrated Testing of Fire Protection Systems; fire protection engineer Mark Buschman was appointed as an alternate to that committee. Koffel Associates recently relocated to Columbia.

Health Care

Dr. Mark T. Edney, a urologist and medical director of the Peninsula Institute of Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgery at Peninsula Regional Medical Center, in Salisbury, was recently named the American Urological Association’s Gallagher Health Policy Scholar for 2012. Dr. Edney will attend national health policy training sessions and meetings. He also is part of Peninsula Urology Associates. Dr. Edney is one of Peninsula Regional’s lead physicians in the use of the da Vinci high-definition system for robotic surgery.

Dr. Edward Wolf, of Woodholme Gastroenterology Associates, in Pikesville, has been chosen as a 2011 Super Doctor. Dr. Wolf is board-certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology.

Colleen Cusick, director of materials management at Johns Hopkins Hospital, recently was elected chair and Lionel Weeks, vice president of facilities at LifeBridge Health, was elected vice chair of the Maryland Health Care Sustainability Leadership Council. Cusick was co-founder and chair of Johns Hopkins Hospital’s green team, and has worked with Maryland Hospitals for a Healthy Environment, an initiative at University of Maryland School of Nursing. Weeks has been involved with the greening and sustainability efforts of LifeBridge Health for the past four years.

Two Greater Baltimore Medical Center physicians have been named to leadership positions within their specialties: Joan Lewis Blomquist has been named division head of urogynecology. Dr. Blomquist has served on GBMC’s medical staff since 1996 in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, Urogynecology, and Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery, where she is co-director of DEXA and Osteoporosis Services, and as associate director of the Johns Hopkins/GBMC Fellowship in Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery. Abraham Allan Genut has been named division head of neurology. Dr. Genut received his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and completed his residency at University of Maryland Medical System. He has been a member of GBMC’s medical staff since 1991; he became medical director of stroke services in 1999 and assistant chief of neurology in 2008. He is a clinical instructor in neurology at Johns Hopkins University Hospital and clinical assistant professor in neurology and psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Dr. Genet previously was chief of the neurology division at Union Memorial Hospital.

Insurance

Tim Michels recently was promoted to chief operations officer of IWIF Workers’ Compensation Insurance. He previously was executive vice president of claims. Paige Beck will continue to serve as chief financial officer and will also be IWIF’s chief administrative officer.

Marketing

Nick Weidmann has been hired as an assistant account executive by Nevins & Associates, of Hunt Valley. Weidmann previously worked in the corporate marketing and communications practice at APCO Worldwide, and in the crisis and litigation group at Levick Strategic Communications in Washington, D.C. He has a master’s degree from University of Maryland University College, and a bachelor’s degree from University of Maryland, College Park.

Networking

The Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce has started a women’s group, the Women Balancing Life and Business Committee. Chamber Director of Member Services Donna Gallagher and member Dawn Goldberg of Write Well University developed the committee to serve female chamber members with programs and topics addressing all aspects of a women’s life. Goldberg was named chair of the committee.

Nonprofits

Jeannie Howe took over as executive director of the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance on Jan. 3, succeeding J. Buck Jabaily, who left to create the Baltimore Open Theatre. Howe has served as president of the Everyman Theatre board of directors. More recently, as a consultant, she led the Capital Campaign, which has raised nearly $17 million for the theater company’s move downtown next season. As founder and president of BayCliff Associates since 2008, Howe has been a management and fundraising consultant. Before that, she spent 10 years with the Marrow Foundation (now Be the Match Foundation) in Washington, D.C., including as vice president, and chief development and program officer. She is a founding member of the Baltimore Book Festival Leadership Committee and serves on the Parent Advisory Group for Baltimore School for the Arts.

Pharmaceuticals

Linda L. Chang has been named senior vice president and chief financial officer of PharmAthene, of Annapolis. Chang had spent 11 years at Human Genome Sciences, most recently as senior director of finance. Before that she was an associate at Booz Allen & Hamilton, and worked at Grant Thornton, and Otsuka America Pharmaceuticals. Chang is a CPA.

Real Estate

Corey Powell, senior development manager of Enterprise Homes, of Columbia, has been named one of Biznow’s 35 Under 35: Rising Stars of Commercial Real Estate. Powell joined Enterprise Homes in 2007 as an associate development manager. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture, with a concentration in urban design, from the University of Maryland, College Park. Powell is a LEED Accredited Professional and has served as a guest lecturer for the University of Maryland’s Architecture Program.

Software

Roadnet Technologies, of Baltimore, was included in Software Magazine’s Software 500 ranking of the world’s largest software and service providers. Roadnet, which provides worldwide fleet management and route optimization solutions for vehicles, was named in the “Top 10 Companies in the $30 – $50 million” and “Top 10 Overall in Revenue Growth” categories.

Liz Chantry has been named vice president, South Eastern Region, by LG-TEK, of Columbia. Chantry has 32 years of experience providing programmatic and analytic support to high-level customers within the federal government. LG-TEK is a woman/minority/veteran-owned provider of software development and life cycle support, networking, training, language support, facility planning and security.