Career Moves

Magazine founder to oversee Vaco's executive search division

Dan Davies is still focused on business leaders -- but in a very different way.

Davies, who recently retired as publisher of Business Leader magazine, has been named head of the executive search division of Vaco's Raleigh office.

Vaco, a consulting and executive recruiting firm, has 18 offices across the country. "I help companies find the right leaders for their executive team," Davies said.

Davies, 65, had been publisher of Business Leader since he founded the magazine in 1989. He sold much of his ownership stake in Business Leader's parent company in 2006 but retains a small piece of the business.

In other moves ...

John Merrit has joined McGuireWoods Consulting as a senior vice president in its State Government Relations Department. Merrit has spent 35 years working in government and public affairs, including a stint as co-chief of staff to Gov. Mike Easley. He also was a senior vice president for regulatory and government affairs for Hardee's Food Systems. McGuireWoods is based in Tysons Corner, Va., with offices in seven cities including Atlanta, Washington, Chicago, Raleigh and Bucharest.

Skanska USA Building hired six employees for the Durham office. Kevin Rascoe was hired as project engineer at the N.C. Cancer Hospital in Chapel Hill. Phil Southerland was hired as assistant project manager, working with the pharmaceutical project team. Michael Elkington was hired as an estimating engineer handling preconstruction for the Carolinas and Virginia. Allison Harris was hired as a cost engineer. Matthew Kidwell was hired as assistant project engineer, and Erin Flynn was hired as project engineer.

Heather M. Bolson has been promoted to senior business developer at Innovative Talent Solutions, a staffing firm in Raleigh. Tyler J. Guild was hired as a recruiter and Jamie E. Arnold as an office coordinator.

Alexandra F. Sirota was named director of policy and research at Action for Children North Carolina.

Tony Asion was appointed executive director of El Pueblo, a nonprofit public policy and advocacy organization dedicated to strengthening the Latino community of North Carolina.

James E. Schaeffer, executive director of Long Leaf Opera in Chapel Hill, has been named chief executive officer of The Center for Contemporary Opera in New York.

Tammy Hilbert joined Gynecology & Laparascopic Surgeons in Raleigh as a physician specializing in laparoscopy and hysteroscopy techniques, pelvic organ prolapse, urinary incontinence and menopause.

John P. Lewis has been appointed chief financial officer for UNC Health Care.

Elsa Abruzzo has been appointed vice president of regulatory and quality affairs at InnerPulse, a Research Triangle Park company that specializes in technology for the treatment of abnormal heart rhythms.

Robert Tiller was appointed vice president and assistant general counsel at Red Hat in Raleigh. Richard Fontana was appointed open-source licensing and patent counsel.

Michael Bloom was hired as automotive account manager at The King Partnership, a Raleigh marketing, advertising and public relations agency.

Clint Wood and Laura Piercy were appointed to account managers at Edge Office, a Raleigh contract furniture dealer.

Greg Lambert joined Withers & Ravenel as director of local government planning. Withers & Ravenel is a civil engineering firm in Cary.

Amy Bush of York Properties commercial division has been promoted to vice president of commercial sales and leasing.

Lesley J. Ansley was named vice president for marketing of Peoples Financial Service in Raleigh. She is also responsible for marketing the firm's other enterprises, Peoples Sports Management and Peoples Community Foundation.