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Architecture and Design

Jerry C. Blanchard joined WHL Architects as senior project manager. Blanchard comes to WHL with 35 years’ experience as an architect in the Baton Rouge area, including 12 years managing the design and construction of all LSU facilities and six years as associate athletic director for athlete facilities.

Communications and Media

Mark Fisher joined Cox Greater Louisiana as director, support services. Fisher previously served as security, facilities and technical sales manager for Comcast’s Indianapolis region. He also had eight years of service with Cox in its Hampton Roads (Va.) and New Orleans systems.

Education

Samuel Tiras was named chair of the Department of Accounting in LSU’s E.J. Ourso College of Business. Tiras joined the faculty in fall 2007 as the department’s KPMG Endowed Professor. His research centers on the usefulness of accounting information to financial statement users.

Financial and Insurance

Eric Knudsen was named vice president of Hub International’s Gulf South operation. Knudsen will be responsible for developing a practice group focused on large property and casualty accounts in the south central United States. Knudsen will be based at HUB Gulf South’s Metairie office, but he also will work with the Baton Rouge and Lafayette branches.

Willie Porter was named branch manager of Pelican State Credit Union’s new Mid City Branch on North Lobdell Boulevard. Porter served as a management associate at Hancock Bank for three years.

James Purgerson was named vice president and senior lending officer of Citizens Bank and Trust. Purgerson, who joined the bank in March 1999, previously served as vice president and business development officer. He is a certified commercial investment member and president of Baton Rouge Green.

Kimberly A. Brooks was named vice president of human resources at Citizens Bank and Trust. Brooks, who joined the bank in April 1996, previously served as human resources officer.

Ryan Elliott was named vice president for business development and management of Citizens Bank and Trust’s main office branch in Plaquemine. Elliott, who joined the bank in August 2005, previously served as branch administrative officer.

Brooks Lewis was named vice president for business development and management of Citizens Bank and Trust’s O’Neal Lane branch. Lewis, who joined the bank in 2004 as a management trainee, previously served as branch administrative officer at the O’Neal Lane branch.

Government

Former State Rep. Shirley Bowler was named Deputy Commissioner of the Office of Management and Finance in the Department of Insurance. While serving as a state legislator from 1992-2007, Bowler was a member of the House Committees on Insurance, Civil Law and Procedure and Labor and Industrial Relations and vice chairwoman of the House Legislative Services Council. She was also an active member of the National Conference of Insurance Legislators for 12 years, serving on the group’s executive committee and as chairwoman of the Property and Casualty Committee.

Health Care

Brad Vincent joined Our Lake of the Lake Hospital and Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Program. Vincent specializes in minimally invasive lung cancer diagnosis and treatment of advanced stage lung cancer. He also specializes in benign diseases that damage the trachea and airways.

Industry

Perry “Jeff” Smith Jr. was named vice president of Excel Companies. Smith comes to Excel with more than 35 years’ experience in management and leadership positions in business and government. Most recently, he served as the director of the state’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.

Niomi Krzystowczyk was named division vice president of health, safety and environment for Albemarle Corporation. Krzystowczyk will have global responsibility for all of the company’s HS&E activities. Most recently, she served as director of corporate product stewardship, corporate risk management and sustainability for Albemarle’s HS&E Group.

Luke Kissam IV was named senior vice president, manufacturing and law, and corporate secretary for Albemarle Corporation. Kissam previously served as senior vice president, general counsel and secretary. He will lead Albemarle’s manufacturing and law functions worldwide.

Laurence L. Lambert II was named a principal at ABMB Engineers. He currently serves as the traffic division manager and is located at the firm’s corporate office in Baton Rouge. Lambert directs the firm’s ITS, traffic design, traffic simulation and modeling and traffic signal design.

Beau B. Wolfe joined ABMB Engineers as the director of marketing. Wolfe came to ABMB after spending nine years in a business development role for Delta Water, a private corporation that operates nationwide in the performance-based contracting industry.