Katherine Acquino was named county director of the Dorchester County Department of Social Services. Acquino has more than 15 years of experience in social services programs, including child and adult protective services, home studies and stabilization services.

Skye Suarez, music booking agent and columnist for Charleston Free Times, has also joined Champagne & Cottonas a sales representative. Skye, formerly with ITC DeltaCom, will be responsible for accounts in West Ashley and James and Johns islands.

Susan Wilkins has joined the accounting department at Berenyi Inc. Wilkins is responsible for accounts receivable, accounts payable and other accounting and administrative duties. She has more than 12 years of experience in administration, most recently with Sisson Scale and Equipment Co. of Mount Pleasant.

Joel McKellar, Lauren McCord and Jeremy Haskins have joined the Charleston office of LS3P Associates Ltd. McKellar is a marketing research assistant and will be responsible for collecting and distributing the latest in architectural research to the company’s design teams. He is a graduate of Clemson University with a degree in architecture. McCord is an intern architect and will be working with the discovery studio, focusing on health care projects. She was previously employed with Stephen Herlong & Associates on Isle of Palms and is a graduate of Clemson University with a degree in design. Haskins will be a part of the image studio and has a master’s degree in interior design from George Washington University.

Roper St. Francis Healthcare announced the addition of Dr. Joyce Argelia Noriega to the organization’s medical staff. Noriega, a native of Puerto Rico, will practice with Obstetrics & Gynecology, 1364 Ashley River Road, West Ashley. Noriega is a graduate of the University of Michigan Medical School where she received a M.D. degree in 1995. She completed her residency at the Charleston Medical Center, West Virginia University, and is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology.

Physicians Timothy West, Katherine Minnick and Greg Thomas announced the association of Dr. Julia S. Haile for the practice of infectious disease and travel medicine. She has more than 15 years of experience in internal medicine. She was also an associate professor at Wake Forest University.

Advanced Cartridge Technology opened a new retail center, located at 135 Calhoun St., selling photo/multifunctional printers, laptops and color laser printers plus compatible ink and toner cartridges. The company offers on-site service for office equipment and while-you-wait cartridge remanufacturing.

I’On Realty has hired Carey Burnett as broker-in-charge. Burnett has more than 14 years of experience in commercial and investment real estate leasing, management, brokerage and development. Carey was formerly affiliated with Edens & Avant Inc. as an associate leasing broker for the firm’s Southeastern retail properties and served in the brokerage division specializing in investment, development and recreational property transactions. Most recently, Carey held the position of sales associate for I’On Group Realty, focusing on the Morris Square neighborhood in downtown Charleston.

The Beach Co. announced the addition of Lisa McWilliams as a marketing support specialist. She will assist the marketing director in facilitating marketing programs for the company’s development portfolio, including residential, commercial and multi-family projects throughout the region, as well as coordinating corporate-based marketing initiatives. McWilliams earned her bachelor’s degree in both advertising and sociology from the University of Georgia. She was previously with Nashville Commercial Real Estate Services.

Ann Dick has joined Coldwell Banker Coastal Properties as arecruiter/trainer/administrator. She attended the University of South Carolina-Aiken and worked with Amoco Foam Products in Beech Island as a customer coordinator.

Prudential Carolina Real Estate announced the following new employees: Catha Remington and Bob Hervey in the Long Point Road office, Mount Pleasant; Abbey Gilliand and Ryan Tisdale in the Orleans Road office, West Ashley; Champ Smith in the Isle of Palms office; Anne Still in the Ashley River Road office, West Ashley; Jamie and Jessica Clemmons in the Clements Ferry Road office; Michael Mosley and John Knight in the Main Street office, Summerville; and James M. Tobias. Tobias has been a licensed real estate broker in the Charleston area since 1972 and owned a company for many years. He is a member of both the residential and commercial divisions of the Charleston Trident Association of Realtors.

Cheryl Arnold has joined ERA Tides Realty as an associate. Arnold has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and owned her own small business.

Greg Miller and Anissa J. Stark have joined Century 21 Properties Plus Inc. as real estate agents working out of the Metro North Charleston office located at 7800 Rivers Ave. Miller was a licensed master plumber and owner of Miller Plumbing Co. in Long Island, N.Y., for 30 years. He also served in the U.S. Air Force and studied mechanical drawing and blueprint reading at Farmingdale College. Stark was previously a real estate agent for Russell & Jeffcoat in Columbia.

Weichert, Realtors—Dean-Kelby hired Cathleen Heim and Gregory M. Ensign as new sales associates specializing in residential sales in the Charleston area. Heim holds a bachelor’s degree in public communications. Ensign holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and a juris doctorate in law. His background includes work in the areas of manufacturing and industrial real estate. Ben Schuyler has been named sales manager of the Mount Pleasant office. A member of the Charleston Trident Association of Realtors, Schuyler has been in real estate in the Charleston area for the past six years. He previously worked as a financial planner.

Tracy Cornatzer and Jacob Elliott have joined the Mount Pleasant office of AgentOwned Realty. Elliott has a degree in business administration from the College of Charleston. He has also played professional beach volleyball on the AVP tour.

The firm Lee Hecht Harrison announced the appointment of R. Bernie Pritchard as vice president for business development for South Carolina. Pritchard brings extensive experience in technology, human resources, strategic planning and business development from several Fortune 500 companies in Atlanta, including BellSouth.

Angel and Oreka Quintero were promoted to executive director sales positions with Pre-Paid Legal Services Inc. The Quinteros are responsible for marketing legal access plans to individuals, families and groups throughout North America.

Hagood & Kerr PA announced that Christopher T. Colwell has become an associate attorney of the firm. Colwell concentrates his practice in the areas of commercial and residential real estate transactions, corporate law and business litigation. He obtained an undergraduate degree from Furman University and his law degree from the University of South Carolina.

Richardson, Patrick, Westbrook & Brickman LLC announced the hiring of Aaron Dias and Walter Wood as associate attorneys. Dias will specialize in environmental litigation, and Wood will specialize in product liability. Dias earned bachelor’s degrees in history and chemistry from the College of Charleston and a law degree from the University of South Carolina. Wood earned bachelor’s degrees in biology and political science from the University of North Carolina and a law degree from Duke University School of Law.

Helen Roper, an attorney with Buist, Byars, Pearce & Taylor LLC, has been promoted to manager of the Bluffton/Hilton Head office. Prior to this appointment, Roper worked out of the firm’s North Charleston office. Roper was previously an associate attorney with Lisa Wolff Herbert PA in Mount Pleasant. She holds bachelor’s degrees in art history and government from Wofford University and a law degree from the University of South Carolina.

Hood Law Firm LLC welcomed several new associates. Steven D. Epps, a graduate of Wofford College and Mercer University School of Law, served as a law clerk for circuit court Judge J. Mark Hayes II. His areas of practice include products liability, medical malpractice defense, premises liability, insurance law and employment law. Andrew W. Countryman, a graduate of Davidson College and the University of South Carolina School of Law, will practice commercial litigation, insurance law, product liability, medical malpractice defense and health care law. Alison D. Durgee, a graduate of the College of Charleston and the University of South Carolina School of Law, will practice construction law, medical malpractice defense, insurance law and commercial litigation. Crystal M. Utley, a graduate of the College of Charleston and the Mississippi College School of Law, will practice commercial litigation, insurance law, product liability, medical malpractice defense, health care law and employment law.

Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd PA announced two new hires in the Charleston office. Jay E. Bressler joined the litigation team after two years of private practice with Rachelson & White PC in Atlanta. Bressler is a 2003 graduate of Georgia State University School of Law and earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin—Madison. He has experience managing depositions and handling various pleadings in real estate, construction and corporate and business litigation. Anne L. Ross is a 2000 graduate of Furman University and a 2003 graduate from the University of South Carolina School of Law. Ross was previously a law clerk to the Hon. E.C. Burnett III, Justice, South Carolina Supreme Court.

Moore & Van Allen hired Jennifer K. Stone to the Charleston office as an associate. She will concentrate her practice in the area of litigation and employment law. She graduated from the Brookland Law School.

Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP announced the addition of Jennifer H. Thiem to the Charleston office. Thiem will practice in the area of business litigation. She earned a Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 2005.

Steve Howard was hired as a financial services representative for Carolina Capital Management on Daniel Island. Howard has a bachelor’s degree in music and sports medicine from State University in New York. He has been in the financial industry for more than five years.

Jarrard, Nowell & Russell LLC hired Kelly Mast as a staff accountant. Mast is responsible for business and individual income tax and financial statement preparation. A graduate of the College of Charleston, Mast received a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Mast was previously employed by Mast, Evans & Isenhour LLP in Hickory, N.C.

Moore Kirkland & Beauston LLP announced the hiring of Julia Hemphill as the human resource director. She will be responsible for those duties in the firm’s four offices. Hemphill has 20 years of experience at CPA firms with human resources and firm management. She received her human resource management certificate from Duke University and her Professional in Human Resource Certifications from the Human Resource Certification Institute.

Margaret Victoria Miller has been promoted to senior vice president of audit and compliance services. Miller, who has more than 25 years of experience in the financial services field, has been with S.C. Federal for more than seven years, most recently serving as audit manager. Miller received her bachelor’s degree from Radford University in Virginia and recently graduated from Cannon Financial Institution’s Internal Audit School.

Karen Moran, Patty Lee and Ivie Parker have joined Rawle Murdy. As account executives, Moran and Lee will serve as key contacts for clients, providing strategic planning recommendations and direction. Moran previously worked as the field account manager for three years at WestWayne, an Atlanta-based marketing agency. Lee previously worked for Stern Advertising in Cleveland. In her role as account coordinator, Parker will focus on client services for a variety of client accounts, including South Carolina Parks, Recreation and Tourism, Wild Dunes Resort and Seabrook Island. Parker previously worked for Bluestein Custom Vision where she organized all advertising, marketing and public relations activities.

Benefitfocus.com announced several new hires. Kyle Donald Frohock is a business analyst in the client services division. He has a degree in management from Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, Tenn. Justin Petite is a business analyst in the client services division. He was formerly Data Conversion Specialist for ADP Inc. Ronald Tripp is director of group services in the eEnrollment group services division. He was formerly employed as director of professional services for Cambar Software Inc. in Charleston. Michael Rosier is a software engineer in the Web application engineering division. He was formerly Web developer for Bob Jones University in Greenville. John Ryan is a systems engineer in the production server management division. He was formerly networking and security engineer for the South Carolina Research Authority in North Charleston. Mark Gregory Turansky is a senior software engineer for eEnrollment. He was formerly employed by Axiom Resource Management in Falls Church, Va. Carol Huggins is an implementation and operations manager for eBilling. She was formerly national project coordinator for Anchorsign Inc. in Charleston. Kurt Kraus is a software engineer for eEnrollment. He was formerly a software developer in Honolulu.

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