Christopher Prior was named chief executive of Phase BioScience, a Morrisville biotechnology company that is working to develop a better and cheaper way to purify injectable medicines made by cells.

Prior, 55, is an entrepreneur, fundraiser and inventor with more than 20 years' experience in developing biopharmaceuticals. Two companies he founded have been bought since 2001: BioRexis Pharmaceuticals of King of Prussia, Pa., became part of Pfizer last year; and Principia Pharmaceuticals of Rockville, Md., was acquired by Human Genome Sciences.

PhaseBio, which has 14 employees, was founded in 2002 based on technology developed at Duke University. The company has since raised about $8 million in venture capital, which included an undisclosed investment from health-care conglomerate Johnson & Johnson a year ago.

In other moves ...

Susan Helm-Murtagh has been named vice president of IS decision support at Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina.

Gavin Corcoran has been promoted to chief scientific officer at Stiefel Laboratories, a pharmaceutical company that specializes in dermatology. Corcoran will remain in Stiefel's research and development headquarters in Research Triangle Park.

Kim Howren has been promoted to senior vice president, director of retail banking at Capital Bank in Raleigh.

The N.C. Department of Commerce announced three appointments: Jim Roberts as technology business development manager; Joe Conaty as life sciences business development manager and Jason Semple as existing industry specialist for the state's Eastern region. Roberts and Conaty will work from Raleigh, and Semple will work from Greenville.

James N. Copeland will lead the North Carolina K-12 design team at Moseley Architects.

Susan E. Cates has been named associate dean of executive development at UNC-Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School.

Matt Vordermark was appointed vice president of operations at Professional Builders Supply in Morrisville.

Grant L. Sabroff joined Concord Hospitality Enterprises as senior vice president of business development. Concord Hospitality Enterprises is a hotel management and development company based in Raleigh.

Pamela Cardozo joined as director of business development at The Accuro Group in Cary, which provides staffing and talent acquisition services to corporations.

Joe Hatcher was promoted to vice president and Giles Williams to controller at The Resolute Building Co. in Chapel Hill.

Reid Lerner was appointed senior director of finance for Talecris Plasma Resources, the plasma-collection business of Research Triangle Park-based Talecris Biotherapeutic.

Anne Mundinger joined the Raleigh office of accounting firm McGladrey & Pullen as an audit director.

Bill Galloway has been named Johnston area executive at First Citizens Bank in Smithfield. Sammy Jackson, who led the Johnston area for 18 years, will retire June 2.

Johnny Rankin has been promoted to senior vice president/business unit leader of the Raleigh commercial business unit at Balfour Beatty Construction. Tony Stoneking has been promoted to vice president of operations in the Raleigh office.

Christopher J. Knors joined the Research Triangle Park office of Moore & Van Allen as an intellectual property lawyer.

John Mann joined law firm Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein as special counsel resident in the Raleigh office.

Hannah Seal has been promoted to real estate manager, and Erin Walchak has been promoted to assistant real estate manager at CB Richard Ellis, a commercial real estate firm in Raleigh.

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