Christie named Worthington Industries CFO
Worthington Industries Inc. announced that its president, John Christie, is now also its chief financial officer. Christie has served as president and COO of Worthington Industries since June 1999. He will retain the title of president as he moves from COO to CFO.
“John has demonstrated his strong financial and leadership skills in his oversight of this function over the past four months,” says John P. McConnell, chairman and CEO. “In his experience as COO, Mr. Christie gained a deep understanding of our operations, and that will serve us well in his new area of responsibility. Along with Worthington’s excellent finance team, he brings solid financial discipline to all areas of the company. Mr. Christie will continue to provide us with great perspective and leadership.”
McConnell also announced that the four presidents of the company’s business units will now be reporting directly to him. “I look forward to working closely with the presidents,” McConnell says. “We have a strong team in place, and we are well-positioned to grow our business.”
Christie has more than 25 years of financial experience. After earning his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Miami University of Ohio and his MBA from Emory University in Atlanta, he began his career in banking as a financial analyst and as a national commercial loan officer at The First National Bank of Atlanta, now Wachovia Bank. He helped establish banks in Cincinnati and Columbus for the Cleveland Trust Co. Before moving to Worthington, he most recently was president of JMAC Inc., a multimillion-dollar diversified investment company. He was also senior vice president, corporate development, for Battelle, a leading global research institution.
COLUMBUS COALITION AGAINST FAMILY VIOLENCE
Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence named Karen Days president. Days has been the coalition’s executive director since September 1999. She is a graduate of The Ohio State University and oversees the development and implementation of initiatives created by the Coalition’s five task forces and its board of directors, as well as a staff of four.
Previously, she worked as the Safety Critical Needs Specialist at United Way of Franklin County and as assistant chief of the Grants Section at the Office of Criminal Justice Services. She is a member and treasurer of the board of trustees for Westside-Eastside Child Care Centers Association and received the first Karama Community Leadership Award from the Columbus Urban League in October 2001.
R.G. BARRY CORP.
Tom Hollister was named vice president of sales at comfort footwear manufacturer and marketer R.G. Barry Corp. He is responsible for strategic branding, product development, merchandising and all consumer/trade promotion for the company’s business with Kohl’s, Sears and Target stores. He has been with the company in various sales positions since 1969, and most recently was a regional vice president of sales.
Bob Dickey was named vice president of sales. In this expanded role, he assumed brand management responsibility for the new Terrasoles footwear line, working on growth, merchandising and promotional strategies. He has been with the company since 1980.
Pam Gentile rejoined the company as vice president, national account sales. She has overall management responsibility for product development, price positioning and marketing for the company’s EZFeet brand within Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club.
James Faulkner was promoted to vice president, field sales. He manages the department store field sales organization and retained overall sales management responsibility for the licensed Liz Claiborne Slippers brand.
THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
Dr. E. Antonio Chiocca, an associate professor of neurosurgery at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, will join The Ohio State University Medical Center as chair of the new neurological surgery department this month.
Chiocca, a nationally recognized brain tumor specialist, will hold the Dardinger Family Endowed Chair in Oncological Neurosurgery. He is a leading investigator in the use of gene therapies for brain tumors and other central nervous system disorders.
Chiocca will bring to Ohio State grants and research faculty, a move expected to position the medical center to attract additional external research support. His arrival is expected to be followed by the recruitment of additional specialists in other elements of the discipline, including trauma, movement disorders, spine surgery and vascular disorders.
BIG LOTS INC.
Joe Cooper was named senior vice president and chief financial officer of closeout retailer Big Lots. He was most recently vice president and treasurer, and replaces Jeffrey Naylor.
Cooper has more than 20 years of retail experience. He joined the company in May 2000, heading up strategic planning and investor relations. Later that year, his role was expanded when he was appointed vice president and treasurer. Prior to joining Big Lots, Cooper held the positions of financial controller for Bath & Body Works and vice president of finance at KinderCare Learning Centers. He held positions of increasing responsibility with Limited Brands and KPMG earlier in his career.
Big Lots also promoted Timothy Johnson to vice president, strategic planning and investor relations. He joined Big Lots in August 2000 as director of strategic planning. Previously, he held positions with Structure Inc., Limited Brands and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
John Martin joined Big Lots as executive vice president of merchandising and reports directly to CEO Michael Potter. Martin oversees all areas of merchandising, including merchandise planning and allocation, and is responsible for furthering the company’s progress toward its long-term goals. He has 30 years of retail experience, and most recently served as president of Garden Ridge Corp. He’s also held leadership positions with Michael’s Stores, OfficeMax Inc. and Federated Department Stores.
THOMPSON HINE LLP
Law firm Thompson Hine named three new partners. Anthony White joined the company as partner in the business litigation practice group. His practice focuses on complex business litigation with an emphasis in employment litigation. White also serves as the basketball analyst for 610 WTVN AM in Columbus and has a weekly radio show from January through March analyzing The Ohio State University basketball and college basketball.
Daniel Edwards was named partner in the construction practice group. He focuses his practice on public and private construction law, government contracts and general litigation. Recently, he successfully represented the lead plaintiff in receiving one of the largest contract awards ever against the state of Ohio in the Ohio Court of Claims.
Scott Campbell was named partner in the business litigation and product liability practice groups. His practice focuses on general civil and commercial litigation, including disputes involving land use and zoning, lending practices, financial fraud, corporate control contests and fiduciary malfeasance.
NATIONAL CITY COLUMBUS
National City promoted Stefanie Steward-Young to vice president of community reinvestment. She is responsible for managing the community reinvestment activities of National City for the Central Ohio region. Previously, she served as assistant vice president of community reinvestment, banking office manager and retail management development program trainee. She has seven years of experience in the financial services industry.
Steward-Young serves on the board of trustees for the Columbus Urban League, Community Development Collaborative of Greater Columbus and Homes on the Hill CDC. She also serves on advisory committees for the United Way Neighborhood Partnership Center, Columbus Housing Partnership and Ohio Community Development Finance Fund.
MILLS/JAMES PRODUCTIONS
Mills/James Productions hired Joshua Platt as marketing manager. He is responsible for shaping and implementing marketing initiatives, including marketing communications, advertising and promotion, event marketing, public relations and community affairs.
Platt brings more than 10 years of marketing, public relations and journalism experience to his position. Previously, he served as director of marketing and public relations for the Columbus Jewish Federation. Before moving to Columbus, he was a reporter and producer in newspaper, radio, television and Web newsrooms at both the local and national levels.
COMDOC
ComDoc, a document and office solutions provider based in Akron, hired Frank Pacetta to head its Columbus operations as president. Pacetta has more than 20 years of sales experience with Xerox. His track record includes driving Xerox’s Columbus district from 67th in the nation to No. 1 for profit and revenue growth in 1993 and similar feats in Cleveland and Minneapolis.
Pacetta’s focus is on customer development and strategic alliances, as well as overseeing operations and ComDoc’s expansion into the Dayton and Cincinnati markets. His goal is to generate $20 million in revenue in less than three years.
BALLETMET COLUMBUS
Pam Bishop was selected as development director for BalletMet Columbus. She is responsible for directing its comprehensive fund-raising programs. A member of the senior management team, the development director works with a 48-member board of trustees and four-person development team to raise $2.2 million each year through annual and special gift campaigns, government and foundation grants and special events, and to strategically plan for future capital and endowment needs.
Previously, Bishop was assistant director of development at Columbus College of Art & Design. She worked with the Children’s Hunger Alliance and was a professional dancer and teacher in Columbus for 17 years.
EMERGING MARKETING
Business-to-business marketing company Emerging Marketing hired Todd Anderson as director of business development. He is responsible for developing new client relationships and working with existing clients to develop long-term strategic marketing initiatives. He has an extensive agency background, having worked with Ryan Partnership, marchFIRST, Ten Resource and NCR.
Melanie Spangler was hired as director of client services. She is responsible for maintaining and growing client relationships, fostering strategic partnerships and ensuring overall account profitability. Most recently, she was an account supervisor with Fahlgren Inc.
GBQ PARTNERS LLC
GBQ Partners LLC hired Jenny Harmon as a tax and consulting senior manager in the Physician Practice Group. Harmon joins GBQ with more than 13 years of experience in health care operations and accounting. Previously, she was an owner in a local accounting firm. Prior to that, Harmon was the office manager of a Columbus cardiology group. In addition to being a CPA, Harmon is a certified professional coder and certified medical manager.
