Career Moves

Champion for entrepreneurs has a new gig

Monica Doss, a fixture in the Triangle's entrepreneurial community, is going national.

Doss has been named director of the Kauffman Foundation's FastTrac program, based in Kansas City, Mo.

FastTrac is a course intended to provide entrepreneurs with the skills they need to start or expand businesses with high-growth potential. It is taught by more than 300 organizations in 50 states, according to the foundation's Web site.

Doss stepped down as president of the Council for Entrepreneurial Development of Research Triangle Park in May after leading the nonprofit support group for fledgling business owners for 22 years. She was replaced by Joan Siefert Rose, former general manager of N.C. Public Radio, WUNC-FM.

Doss, 56, is no stranger to FastTrac. CED offers FastTrac courses, and Doss developed the prototype for the TechVenture curriculum that focuses on technology startups. For the past four years, she also has been chairman of the Entrepreneurial Education Foundation, which disseminates the FastTrac program.

Doss said she will split her time between Kansas City and the Triangle this year and expects to be "fully based" in the Triangle next year.

Doss starts her new position Aug. 25.

In other moves ...

Patricia Holsten, former chief executive officer of American Harbor Mortgage Co. of Wilmington, has been chosen to head the newest branch, at 1015 Ashes Drive in Westfall Park, Wilmington.

Jim Herold has been named associate director for the Coastal Conservation Association of North Carolina, whose purpose is to advise and educate the public on the conservation of marine resources.

Warren Kurtzman has been named president and chief operating officer of media research firm Coleman Insights in Research Triangle Park. Company founder Jon Coleman will assume the chairman and chief executive officer titles and continue to work directly with Coleman Insights' clients.

Lilly Ferrick has been hired as business development director at Forma, a Raleigh marketing firm for biotech, life-science and technology companies.

Scott LaPorte joined BBH Design in Research Triangle Park as a designer focusing on health-care projects.

On the boards ...

Matthew Squire, chief technical officer and senior vice president of engineering for Hatteras Networks, has been re-elected to the Metro Ethernet Forum board of directors for a fourth term. Metro Ethernet Forum is an alliance that includes telecommunications service providers, cable multiple systems operators, network equipment and software manufacturers, semiconductor vendors and testing organizations.

W. Landon Watts, a financial strategist for Banyan Rock & Talent of Raleigh, has been named to the board of Meals on Wheels, which provides food for the elderly and people with disabilities in Wake County.

Mary Muth, director of the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Program at RTI International, has been elected chairwoman of the Food Safety and Nutrition Section of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.

Delores M. Etter, director of the Caruth Institute for Engineering Education at Southern Methodist University in Texas, was named to the board of directors at Lord Corp. in Cary.

Downtown Durham Inc. announced its board of directors for 2008-09. The executive committee consists of: Wingate "Wink" Swain of Measurement Inc. is chairman, William A. Kalkhof of Downtown Durham is president, Larry Loeser of Harrington Bank is vice chairman, Darren Howell of Gateway Bank is treasurer, John Warasila of Alliance Architecture is secretary, Joni Madison of McKinney is past chairwoman and Tracey Goetz of Prudential Carolinas Realty is fundraising director. Michael Lemanski, Scott Selig, James Easthom, Ken Reite, Tucker Bartlett, Chuck Watts and Sarah Hill are directors at-large.

Janice Cutler, president and owner of North Raleigh Florist, has been named vice chairwoman of the Wake County Business Alliance for Mount Vernon Middle School. Cutler will partner with educators to provide students with resources for choosing careers.

The American Society for Quality Raleigh Section announced its executive board for 2008-2009. Angela Hall of Zencos Consulting is chairwoman, Tauna Schachle of Siemens Medical Solutions is chair-elect, Stephanie Ploeger of Talecris Plasma Resources is treasurer, and Mary C. Easterly of Diosynth Biotechnology is secretary.

Bob Jurek, senior vice president and chief financial officer of Tributary Advisors in Raleigh, and Tom Earls, a lawyer in Raleigh, have been named to the board at Mulkey Engineers & Consultants, a civil engineering and consulting firm.

Dean Melissa A. Essary of the Campbell University School of Law was elected vice president for the N.C. Bar Association. Several people were elected to the N.C. Bar Association Board of Governors: L. Neal Ellis Jr. of Hunton & Williams in Raleigh; Daniel F. McLawhorn, an associate city lawyer with the City of Raleigh; Paul A. Meggett, an associate general counsel for UNC Health Care System in Chapel Hill, and chief administrative law judge Julian Mann III of the Office of Administrative Hearings in Raleigh.