durham inc.
PHOTO BY JASON MARTIN
BIZBRIEFS Compiled by Cailey Cetani
ON THE MOVE
The City of Durham appointed Robin Patrick Wynn as the director of the Human Resources Department in June. She previously served as the human resources director for Suffolk County, Virginia. Joseph Patti is the new president and CEO of the clinical stage biopharmaceutical company Evecxia Therapeutics, following the retirement of John Kaiser. Patti previously served as president and CEO of Aviragen Therapeutics and AgilVax, and is a co-founder of Inhibitex. Patti also joined Evecxia’s board of directors. The Foundation Fighting Blindness announced a shift in leadership in June: Jason Menzo stepped in as CEO following the departure of Ben Yerxa, who was named CEO of Research Triangle Park’s Opus Genetics, a spinoff backed by the foundation. Russell Kelley became the new managing director for the foundations’ venture arm, the Raleigh-based Retinal Degeneration Fund.
86
|
durhammag.com
|
Biopharmaceutical company Aerami Therapeutics, which produces inhaled therapies, welcomed Lisa Yañez as COO. Yañez worked for more than 25 years within companies such as Acceleron Pharma, United Therapeutics Corporation and Allergan (now AbbVie). Chrissy Whitty joined Jurassic Capital, an equity investments firm focusing on B2B software companies, as an associate. Whitty formerly worked at JPMorgan Chase & Co. in Charlotte, where she led initiatives to fund fintech across the Southeast. Former North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services secretary Mandy Cohen was named a vice president at primary care enablement company Aledade and the director of the business’s new health services unit, Aledade Care Solutions, headquartered at its new Durham office.
AWARDS & HONORS Smartest Dollar released a study in June based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics that ranked the Durham-Chapel Hill area No. 7 among midsize U.S. metropolitan areas with the most innovative workers.
au g u s t/ s e p t e m b e r 2 0 2 2
Triangle Business Journal hosted its 40 Under 40 Awards during a ceremony on June 29. The annual list celebrates leaders in the community who are younger than 40. Among this year’s honorees are: • Allyson Cobb, director of community engagement at United Way of the Greater Triangle • Allison Chandler, vice president of compliance and legal affairs at Target RWE • Casie Hall, owner and outpatient psychotherapist at Three Oaks Behavioral Health & Wellness • Ricardo Ekmay, senior vice president of nutrition and product development at Arbiom • Logan Thomas, sales director at Weatherby Healthcare • ShuDon Brown, continuous improvement and robotic process automation leader at IBM • Derek Rhodes, founder and executive director at Durham Success Summit • Laura Greenwood Kieler, chief marketing officer at PBS North Carolina Triangle-based real estate businesses were recognized on April 28 during the Champion Awards held by Triangle Crew, an organization focused on advancing women in real estate. The Durham County Main Library’s renovations earned
an award for incorporating sustainable practices through the design and construction of the building; Nish Evans, president and CEO of Lennox and Grae Inc., was named a rising leader in commercial real estate; Research Triangle Park’s Boxyard RTP earned best development project; and Triangle Takeoff Coalition’s “Carry On” campaign won most creative local marketing campaign. Durham ranked No. 18 on WalletHub’s 2022 list of best cities to start a career based on key metrics including the availability of entry-level jobs and housing affordability. The city also ranked No. 10 on WalletHub’s 2022 list of best-run cities in the nation, which was based on categories including financial stability, health, economy and infrastructure. Durham ranked No. 8 on Pheabs’ Top 15 U.S. Cities to Start a Business. The ranking was based on empirical data taken from the U.S. Census Bureau including the city’s employment rate, business taxes, office rental prices, average resident income and local self-employment rate. Durham’s development growth, low business costs and natural beauty were among the reasons for its high ranking.