DAVID KNEIPP
Faulk & Winkler
GARY MERRIFIELD
Red River Bank
BRAD GRANTHAM
Zehnder Communications
CORY STEWART
Louisiana House of Representatives
KENNY COLE
Baton Rouge General/General Health System
DAVID BLITCH
L’Auberge Casino and Hotel Baton Rouge
KERRY WILKERSON
Southside YMCA
JENNIFER JONES
Gulf States Real Estate Services
ACCOUNTING
David Kneipp has joined the local public accounting firm Faulk & Winkler as director of the client accounting services department. In his new role, he will lead the client accounting services team’s strategic and client development efforts. Kneipp has nearly 30 years of banking and finance experience and comes to Faulk & Winkler from Genesis Energy, where he served as vice president.
BANKING & FINANCE
Gary Merrifield has joined the Red River Bank team as chief credit policy officer, senior vice president for the bank. Merrifield began his career with City National Bank and has more than 25 years of banking experience in the Baton Rouge area. He most recently served as senior regional credit officer for a multibillion-dollar regional bank in Jacksonville, Florida.
COMMUNICATIONS
Brad Grantham has joined Zehnder Communications as senior crisis communications manager. He will lead a new crisis communications division in the company’s public relations department. He will also serve as chief strategist on day-to-day public relations accounts. A former TV news director and assignment manager, Grantham previously worked as public relations account supervisor for Peter Mayer Advertising in New Orleans.
Cory Stewart has been promoted to director of communications for the Louisiana House of Representatives. Having previously served as public information specialist and deputy director of communications for the House of Representatives, Stewart has 13 years of legislative, communications and organizational leadership experience. Stewart is the chairman of the National Association of Legislative Information and Communications Staff and is the recent recipient of the national Legislative Staff Achievement Award given by the National Conference of State Legislatures.
HEALTH CARE
Dr. Kenny Cole has been named the first chief clinical transformation officer for Baton Rouge General/General Health System. In this new role, Cole will lead the health system in the transformation of care, focusing on quality, safety and satisfaction. Cole is an infectious disease specialist with advanced degrees from LSU and Dartmouth College, and executive training from the Harvard School of Business. He has served on Baton Rouge General’s medical staff from 2001 to 2013 in various roles, including medical director of infectious disease and a member of critical care and pharmacy committees.
HOSPITALITY
David Blitch has been appointed vice president and assistant general manager of L’Auberge Casino and Hotel Baton Rouge. He has more than 30 years of experience in food and beverage, hospitality, hotel and facilities management. Blitch joined Pinnacle Entertainment in 2011 as vice president of resort operations and was instrumental in the successful opening of the L’Auberge Baton Rouge property in 2012.
NONPROFITS
Kerry Wilkerson has been named branch executive director for the Southside YMCA. Wilkerson was the athletic director for Christian Life Academy.
REAL ESTATE
Jennifer Jones has joined Gulf States Real Estate Services as an associate broker and manager of its new Baton Rouge office in Mid City. She has more than 13 years experience as a broker in California, Hawaii and Louisiana. Previously, she was vice president of American Pacific Finance. Her specialties include mortgage lending, new home construction development and sales, real estate and mortgage mobile applications. Jones will be involved in commercial and residential brokerage, development, project and construction management, and property management.
