Susumu Kasai was named president of AW North Carolina, which makes transmissions and transmission parts for Toyota.

The Durham company, a subsidiary of Japan's AISIN AWAISN AW Co., has an 820,000-square-foot facility that employs 1,200 people in Treyburn Corporate Park in northern Durham County.

For the past three years, Kasai has been president of AW Europe in Brussels, Belgium.

He will take over his new position in July, replacing Kanji Asai, who has been president of AW North Carolina since 2004. Asai will become president of the AWQUIS Co., a manufacturing company in Japan that also is owned by AISN AW Co.

The original president of AW North Carolina of North Carolina, Tsutomu Ishikawa, has been named president of AISIN AW. He will oversee the company's global operations.

In other moves ...

Steven Palmisano was hired as vice president of medical communications at Raleigh-based MedThink Communications. Angie Miller has become senior vice president; Syed Moinuddin was hired as account director.

Philippa Charlton joined as medical director at Tranzyme Pharma, a biopharmaceutical company in Durham.

Paul Briggs was named chief financial officer at Law Enforcement Associates, a security and surveillance technology company in Youngsville.

Jason Fisher has been named manager of market development at Regency Office Products in Raleigh.

I. Beverly Lake Jr. joined Shanahan Law Group in Raleigh as senior counsel.

Dale O'Neill was named vice president of institutional advancement and effectiveness at Johnston Community College.

Chris Brodie joined the N.C. Biotechnology Center as vice president of corporate communications.

Jens Boy, global vice president cardiac care at Teleflex Medical in Research Triangle Park, has resigned. He is relocating to Switzerland.

Max Wallace, former chief executive officer at TheraLogics, Trimeris and Cogent Neuroscience in Durham, has been named chief executive officer at Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure of the Washington.

Ken Chesson has been named general manager of Bentley's restaurant in Crossroads of Cary.

John Hesch joined as regional director of sales for the South region team at Jefferson Wells' in Raleigh. Jefferson Wells provides internal audit and controls, technology risk management, tax and finance and accounting services.

Debra Milligan was promoted to manager of the foreclosure department at the law firm of Hutchens, Senter & Britton, which has offices in Fayetteville, Wilmington, Clayton and Charlotte.

Keith McCullock joined GEL Engineering in Research Triangle Park as the regional office manager and senior staff engineer.

Beth Perry joined the Raleigh office of CB Richard Ellis as a real estate manager. CB Richard Ellis is a commercial real estate firm.

Mark Henry has been named vice president of ASAP Office Supply in Raleigh.

Robert Ungaro of Raleigh joined Atcom Business Telecom Solutions as senior application consultant.

Bailey Gatens joined BJAC as an intern interior designer. BJAC is an architectural design firm in Raleigh.

Shay Foley was hired as art director at Cross and Associates, a Raleigh marketing communications firm. Katherine Costa has been promoted to senior account executive.

Daniel Miller joined Withers & Ravenel as project manager in land development, and Wes Cook joined as assistant project engineer in land development. Withers & Ravenel is a civil engineering firm in Cary.

R. Michael Birch Jr. joined the Raleigh office of Kennedy Covington as an associate in the real estate department. Darlene S. Davis joined the Research Triangle Park office as an associate in the business law department.

Ron Luciani joined Corporate Express Promotional Marketing in Raleigh as vice president of strategic accounts in the mid-Atlantic region.

Ronald Keith joined as a home diagnostics consultant at Healthy Home Diagnostics, a Raleigh contractor for the Comfort Institute, an organization that focuses on indoor comfort research, training and consumer protection.

Suzanne R. Walker joined the Raleigh office of Hedrick Gardner Kincheloe & Garofalo as an associate attorney.

On the boards ...

Triangle Commercial Real Estate Women announced its 2008 board of directors Jill W. Heath is president. Conni Tucker is president elect. Taby Cruden is past president. Lisa Jackson is treasurer. Kerry Saunders is executive administrator. Marie Stapleton is membership director. Laura Hulsey is public relations director. Dottie Burch is special events director. Kerry Saunders is executive administrator, and Angela Murphy, Tish Turner, Heather Denny, Susan Hayden and Eve Pilkington are directors.

The e-NC Authority appointed members to its governing commission: Reba Green-Holley, the Gates County extension director; Dorenda Gatling of Windows on the World e-Community Development Corp.; Stanley H. Fox, former N.C. House representative; Wayne Goodwin, the assistant commissioner and assistant state fire marshall of the N.C. Department of Insurance; and Foyle Hightower Jr., former N.C. House representative. The e-NC Authority works with North Carolina counties to bring broadband technology to their communities.

Dhiren R. Thakker was elected to the board of directors at Chesson Labs of Durham, a health-care products company. He has also been appointed to the scientific advisory board.