Consuelo H. Wilkins, M.D., associate professor of Medicine, Psychiatry and Surgery at Washington University in St. Louis, has been named the new executive director of the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance. She will assume the role on June 1.

Wilkins succeeds the retiring Clifton Meador, M.D.

As the Alliance welcomes a new leader, it will also usher in the next phase of the nearly 13-year-old partnership. With educational functions and clinical collaborations established, the research engine of the Alliance will take center stage.

Wilkins, director of the Institute for Public Health’s Center for Community Health and Partnerships at Washington University and co-director of the Center for Community Engaged Research in the Institute of Clinical and Translational Science (CTSA), will be working to transition the organization to a primarily research-focused program. She will be tasked with managing a $1.5 million budget, assisting both institutions in identifying and recruiting new faculty as well as assisting current faculty in their research development.

Wilkins graduated with a B.S. in Microbiology from Howard University School of Arts and Science. She later earned her medical degree from Howard’s School of Medicine in 1996, completed her residency in internal medicine at Duke University and did her fellowship in geriatric medicine at Barnes-Jewish Hospital/Washington University School of Medicine. In 2002, she received her M.S. in clinical Investigation from Washington University School of Medicine.

She holds several national and international appointments, including serving on the Health Equity Council for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and as a member of the Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Action Institute with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Aquinas College makes 3 additions to staff

Aquinas College, the only four-year Catholic liberal arts college in Middle and East Tennessee, has made three addition to its staff.

Ron Kerman, originally from Brooklyn, N.Y., is the new director of marketing and communications. Kerman holds a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University and was most recently employed as executive director of university marketing at Gannon University in Erie, Penn.

The Office of Institutional Advancement has named Rachel McCaslin as director of alumni relations. Rachel has a B.A. in liberal arts from Middle Tennessee State University and a master’s learning and teaching from Lipscomb University. Rachel was previously a promotional consultant for the Clinique Corporation’s Middle Tennessee Division.

Dr. Daniel K. Donnelly recently joined the Aquinas faculty as director of the business program. He earned a B.Ch.E. from Catholic University of America, an MBA from the University of Maryland, and a Ph.D. from George Mason University. Dr. Donnelly began his career as a process engineer in the organic chemical industry and then spent over 25 years with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He most recently spent six years as associate provost/associate academic vice president for administration at Duquesne.

Zeitlin brokers Reach milestones

Two brokers with the Nashville-based firm Zeitlin & Company, Realtors, have recently earned significant career designations. Mike Nichols has earned the Broker Price Opinion Resource (BPOR) certification, which designates him as a certified resource for estimate of the probable selling price of a property.

Lynne Wallman is now a Seniors Real Estate Specialist, which rewards her expertise the real estate goals, concerns and needs of senior citizens. Both designations are granted by the National Association of REALTORS®.

O’Neil Hagaman names three new principals

O’Neil Hagaman, a Nashville-based business management and consulting firm, has announced the promotion of three senior professionals within the firm to Principal:

• Craig Owens, previously consulting manager
• Ellen Porter, previously business manager
• Lillian Williams, previously business manager.

Owens has been with O’Neil Hagaman for more than 15 years, is a CPA and has been published in Music Row magazine.

Porter has been with O’Neil Hagaman for 28 years. She will focus as principal on client career and financial management through financial accounting, contractual evaluation, negotiation and monitoring, and risk management. She is an alumna of Leadership Music, a member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music and has been published in Music Row magazine.

Williams, who has been with O’Neil Hagaman for more than 20 years, is a Certified Financial Planner and will specialize in client career and financial management. Specifically, she will focus on financial accounting, contractual evaluation, negotiation and monitoring and risk management. She is an alumna of Leadership Music, a member of the Country Music Association and Gospel Music Association, and has been published in Music Row magazine.

DVL announces new hire, promotion

DVL Public Relations & Advertising recently announced the promotion of Cheryl Bak to account executive and social media manager, and the addition of Lauren Kerensky as account executive.

Bak, who joined DVL as an account service associate, has been promoted from assistant account executive to account executive/social media manager, a newly created position.

In this role, she will develop social media strategies, and work to integrate policies and best practices with DVL accounts.

Kerensky previously worked as a publicist for Turner Publishing Company, and comes to DVL with extensive experience as a member of various media and public relations teams in New York, including Becca PR, the Creative Kitchen and Forbes Magazine.

Powell Creative announces staff moves

Powell Creative LLC, a branding, design and interactive firm located on Music Row in Nashville, has hired new staff members to its team.

Krista Ashton has been named account coordinator for the firm. Krista was formerly marketing assistant/patient coordinator for Southern Surgical Arts in Chattanooga. Krista graduated from UT/Chattanooga in May of 2011.

Kristopher Martel joins as web developer/programmer. A 2007 graduate of Tennessee Tech University, Kris was previously employed by SumEffect Software in Franklin. He brings more than seven years of web development experience to the agency.

Rose Wilson, office administrator, was previously in that same position with Powell Creative from 2003-2005.

Saint Thomas Heart adds two surgeons

Drs. A. Brian Wilcox, Jr. and Kenneth Laws, cardiothoracic surgeons, have joined Saint Thomas Health and established a new practice, Heart, Lung & Vascular Surgery with Saint Thomas Heart at Baptist Hospital.

Both physicians specialize in cardiac, thoracic (lung) and vascular surgery and are board certified thoracic surgeons.

Dr. Wilcox, who served as chief of the medical staff at Baptist Hospital in 2011 and past chief of staff for 2012, is a graduate of Southern College and earned his medical degree from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. He completed residencies in general surgery at Methodist Hospital of Memphis and cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Tennessee, Memphis. He is a member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. In 2011, Dr. Wilcox was named medical director of the Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine Center at Baptist Hospital.

Dr. Laws is a graduate of Wheaton College and received his medical degree from Johns Hopkins Medical School. He completed both a cardiovascular and a surgical residency at Vanderbilt University Hospital. He has membership with the Nashville Surgical Society and Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Dr. Laws is a member of the medical staff at the Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine Center at Baptist Hospital.

Three new agents join Fridrich & Clark

Kathy Coleman, GRI, Kristin Duncan, ABR, CRS, GRI, and Chris Simonsen, broker, have joined the Green Hills office of Fridrich & Clark Realty. Most recently, all three were affiliated with Zeitlin & Co., Realtors.

A Life Member Award of Excellence recipient from the Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Coleman brings nearly 27 years of professional real estate experience to the agency. Coleman also holds the Graduate Realtor Institute (GRI) designation from the National Association of Realtors.

Duncan, a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University, has more than 11 years of professional real estate experience. She also holds GRI designation as well as the Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR) designation by the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council and the Certified Residential Estate Specialist designation from the Council of Residential Specialists.

Also a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University, Simonsen has 12 years of professional real estate and production experience.