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People in the News – March 21, 2022

Contributing Writer //March 23, 2022//

People in the News – March 21, 2022

Contributing Writer //March 23, 2022//

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People in the News

Submit people items for possible publication in the Charleston Regional Business Journal using the submission portal at this link. Publication is dependent on editorial guidelines and space considerations.

Construction

KearneyRed Bay Constructors has hired James “Jim” Kearney as a project executive in the North Charleston office. Kearney has held a variety of positions in the commercial construction industry throughout his 37-year career. He began as a mason and concrete finisher and worked his way up to various leadership roles, including foreman, field supervisor, project manager, director and vice president of operations before ultimately owning his own concrete contracting company. He will be responsible for managing large commercial projects and overseeing the project lifecycle at Red Bay. Kearney is a licensed residential building inspector and holds a North Carolina general contractors license.

BauerSEPI has hired Josh Bauer in the company’s Charleston office. Bauer has more than 20 years’  experience in the transportation industry throughout the Southeast, spanning over all facets of local, state and federal roadway design for the S.C. Department of Transportation, Florida Department of Transportation and the counties of Berkeley, Charleston, Lexington, Richland and York. As South Carolina transportation practice lead, Bauer is responsible for continuing the momentum of transportation and roadway design services across South Carolina, while focusing on existing and future client relationships and experience with S.C. DOT and municipalities.

FarrowCullum Constructors Inc. has recognized Heather Farrow for her contributions to the development of their design build department, by announcing her title change to design build coordinator. This title is more descriptive of the role she has been performing for some time. Design build provides design services as well as conceptual budgeting, value engineering, BIM modeling and prefabrication for selected projects. Farrow has been at the center of the effort to better support construction projects since joining Cullum in 2016.

Engineering

ElaminThe Charleston Engineers Joint Council named Gafar Elamin, Ph.D., Engineer of the Year at the organization’s annual Engineers Week Banquet on Feb. 22 at The Citadel in honor of National Engineers Week, Feb. 20-26. Each year, the CEJC selects an engineer, scientist or technology professional in the Lowcountry that demonstrates exceptional career development and professionalism, along with local community leadership and outreach as its Engineer of the Year. Elamin, is an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at The Citadel, whose numerous educational and community accomplishments have served to distinguish him among his peers. Whether serving students as a teacher, motivating youth as a mentor or cultivating his mechanical engineering talents to lead cutting edge research, he has demonstrated a lifetime of exceptional service to STEM education.

Health care

ApplebyTrident Health has named Jane Appleby, M.D., as its new chief medical officer. Appleby joins the health system from 1,000-bed Methodist Hospital and Methodist Children’s Hospital in San Antonio. She is board certified in internal medicine, hospice and palliative medicine. She earned her medical degree and completed her residency at University of Texas Health San Antonio. At Trident Health she will work with a medical staff of more than 600 physicians.

DrakefordThe Gilston Agency has added Kimberley Drakeford to their team. Drakeford graduated from the College of Charleston with a bachelor’s in communication. Her role at the Gilston Agency is working directly with group agents exploring medical and ancillary insurance options for small to mid-sized businesses. Specifically, her duties include assessing group quote requests, completing quote requests, working with agents to seek alternates or additional lines of coverage if appropriate, scrubbing and submitting new sale paperwork and finalizing all internal systems for sold and renewal cases.

Nonprofit

Wings for Kids has appointed Kerri Chisolm, Rahul Dembla and Michael Toscano to its board of directors. Chisolm is the senior vice president commercial banking relationship manager for Ameris Bank where he expands commercial banking relationships throughout the Southeast. He graduated from The Citadel with a bachelor’s in accounting, actively participates in the North Charleston Rotary Club, is a board member of Lowcountry Local First and Charleston LDC, volunteers as a youth soccer coach and gives talks at The Military Magnet Academy. Dembla is the senior director, financial and resource planning at Santee Cooper. He graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, and New York Univeristy Stern School of Business with an MBA in finance. He previously worked for Barclays Investment Bank and Lehman Brothers and was recognized by India’s central board of education for being among the top .01% in mathematics nationwide in 1990 and 1992. Toscano is a graduate of the American Culinary Federations’ Apprenticeship hosted through North Carolina’s Pinehurst Resort. In New York City, he worked at Thomas Keller’s, Bouchon Bakery and Mario Batali’s Babbo. In 2012, he opened Perla in Greenwich Village to accolades in Esquire. He owns and operates La Farfalle in Charleston and da Toscano in New York City. 

Real Estate

SinnottWest Shore has promoted Kristi Sinnott to vice president of property management. Sinnott has more than 18 years of experience in the multifamily industry, beginning her career in the Atlanta market, overseeing a mix of tax credit, conventional and new construction assets. She has been recognized for several awards, including the 2008 Rising Star Award, the 2011 Property of the Year Award and the 2012 Circle of Excellence Award, and was nominated for the 2016 Regional Property Manager of the Year in Charlotte. In her new role, she is responsible for managing West Shore’s national multifamily portfolio and overseeing the physical, financial and administrative operations of the properties. 

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