DI People: The DEC Network, The Concilio, DHA Housing Solutions, and More Make Moves

Across North Texas, companies are promoting and hiring people to take on leadership positions within their organizations.

Dallas Innovates covers prominent personnel moves in Dallas-Fort Worth businesses and nonprofits—from the newest startups to well-established companies. Here are the people moves tied to innovation and technology in the region.

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Axxess founder and CEO joins NAHC Board of Directors

John Olajide

The National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC) has elected John Olajide, founder and CEO of Dallas-based Axxess, to its Board of Directors. Olajide’s three-year team will start Jan. 1, 2021.

“I am excited to join other healthcare leaders who share my passion to ensure the future of care is in the home,” Olajide said in a statement. “This is a critical moment for our industry and we must engage with public policy leaders to create an environment enabling organizations to thrive as they deliver the most desirable and cost-effective healthcare. Technology solutions are a vital part of the care delivery process and I look forward to being a champion for the entire industry.”

NAHC represents 33,000 home care and hospice organizations and employs more than 2 million nurses, therapists, and aides in the US, per a news release. Its 15-person Board of Directors governs and guides the association to “improve the delivery of care at home through advocacy and education.”

The DEC Network brings on a new senior director

Demetra Brown

The Dallas Entrepreneur Center, the local nonprofit that drives entrepreneurial innovation and economic impact, has hired Demetra Brown as its new senior director.

Brown joined The DEC Network this summer from Generation USA, which prepares young people for future careers, where she was the regional partnerships lead. Before that, she held roles at Regis Corporation, JCPenney, and Target.

Brown has more than a decade of experience in talent management, operations, and strategic relationship cultivation. In her new role, she will focus on the Southern Sector Expansion, The DEC@Redbird in Oak Cliff, and supporting the Southern Dallas community.

The Concilio gets a chief impact officer

Joel Durbin

Joel Durbin, an experienced nonprofit veteran, has joined The Concilio, a North Texas nonprofit that helps Latino and other diverse families unlock their potential, as its new chief impact officer.

Durbin has more than 15 years in the nonprofit sector, mainly in education and youth development, having most recently served as the chief program officer at Equal Heart. He has also been the chief operating officer at Education is Freedom and Trinity River Mission, as well as the director of education impact at United Way of Metropolitan Dallas.

In his new role at The Concilio, Durbin will be responsible for culturally responsive parent engagement programs and advocating for Latino families in the North Texas community, per a news release.

HudsonLake announces new chief human resources officer

Kim Cerda

HudsonLake, a strategic firm that specializes in transformative workplace communications, has promoted Kim Cerda to its chief human resources officer.

Cerda brings more than 25 years of experience in corporate human resources strategies and internal communications to her new role. She has been with HudsonLake since January 2019, when she joined the firm to lead its Organizational Change and Culture practice.

Prior to that, Cerda was the VP of Human Resources and Operation Excellence at Plano-based Toyota Financial Services, in which she oversaw HR strategy and operations, talent acquisition, organizational development, and employee reward programs.

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson appoints two to DHA Housing Solutions for North Texas

Sabrina Steward

City of Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson has appointed two new members to the Board of Commissioners at DHA Housing Solutions for North Texas: Sabrina Steward and Michael D. Pegues.

The Board of Commissioners, which sets policy and financial oversight, works with DHA’s executive leadership team to establish the mission, vision, and strategy for the agency.

Steward is currently the administrator of Dallas’ Missions & Outreach at Church of the Incarnation. There, she oversees the administrative operations and events for the Missions & Outreach department, which includes coordinating volunteers, purchasing and financial management, communications, and managing inventory. As a resident of DHA’s Roseland Estates, she will serve as the resident liaison on the board.

Michael Pegues

Pegues is a shareholder and vice chair of the Intellectual Property Litigation practice at Am Law 100 firm, Polsinelli. He has more than 25 years of experience in federal court litigation, ensuring that his clients’ intellectual property portfolios and technology assets are protected. He advocates on behalf of domestic and international clients.

“We are grateful to have Mr. Pegues and Ms. Steward join our Board of Commissioners,” Troy Broussard, president and CEO of DHA, said in a statement. “They both represent an understanding of the importance of affordable housing and share our vision to be a catalyst for positive change by providing pathways for people to enhance their quality of life.”

abeo appoints a chief technology and innovation officer

Joe Ferro

Dallas-based abeo, a provider of physician-focused billing and practice management solutions, has named Joe Ferro as its new chief technology and innovation officer.

Ferro is a knowledgeable industry veteran that has more than 25 years of experience as an entrepreneur and senior healthcare executive. His expertise includes deep healthcare informatics and revenue cycle experience, according to a news release, as well as developing technology to solve critical issues.

In his new role, Ferro will foster abeo’s technology vision and lead its strategic advancement. He will also retain his position as president of TRUSTEDi1, an abeo technology solution that Ferro founded in 2016 to “address the abundance of healthcare data that was underutilized by the health entities collecting it and streamline provider workflows for documentation.”

OneDay promotes a director of Emerging Markets

Kyle Goodman

Dallas-based OneDay, a first-of-its kind video tech company that connects senior living community residents with their families, has promoted Kyle Goodman to its director of Emerging Markets.

As the director of Emerging Markets, which is a new role at OneDay, Goodman will create and provide the resources OneDay needs to scale while impacting other verticals. He will also be tasked with identifying, exploring, and determining the viability of new markets for the company.

Goodman has been with OneDay since July 2019, when he joined as the director of Business Development to manage OneDay’s partnerships, facilitate and plan technical integrations, and identify new market opportunities. Prior to that, he worked at a consulting group that specializes in security, operational intelligence, and human performance, and also served 11 years in the U.S. Navy.

Dallas Capital Bank expands its Board of Directors

Jason Matthews

Jason Matthews, the executive vice president of Commercial and Private Banking at Dallas Capital Bank, has been elected to the Board of Directors for Goodwill Industries of Dallas.

Goodwill Industries of Dallas is a local nonprofit that brings job training, employment placement services, and other community-based programs to people with disabilities and disadvantages that act as roadblocks to obtaining a job.

Matthews has 18 years of commercial banking experience in Dallas. He is also a former board member of Forerunner Mentoring Program.

“I am humbled and honored to serve on the board of such a worthy organization,” Matthews said in a statement. “I share the vision of Goodwill Dallas, and am excited by the opportunity to further partner with them in an effort to give back to the city of Dallas, in such a way that helps create jobs and makes a lasting impact for all of those directly involved, as well as our community as a whole.”

ThinkWhy adds to its Executive Advisory Board

Kimberley Suter

Dallas-based ThinkWhy, an SaaS platform that helps companies navigate a new era of work, has announced that Kimberley Suter is joining its Executive Advisory Board.

Suter is an executive advisor with Crenshaw Associates who has more than 20 years of experience in recruiting, leadership assessment and integration, executive and organizational development, and coaching. She will leverage her knowledge of HR and recruiting to provide ThinkWhy with guidance on navigating today’s labor market

“The needs of recruiters and HR departments have never been more complex, particularly as we deal with the implications of COVID-19,” Suter said in a statement. “As these needs continue to grow and evolve, I am excited to work alongside the ThinkWhy team in looking to elevate LaborIQ’s offerings while leveraging my knowledge of the field. I’m confident in LaborIQ’s capabilities and look forward to expanding on the unique values ThinkWhy has to offer.”

BenefitMall brings on a health insurance veteran as its market director

Robert Poli

Robert Poli, who has more than 30 years of experience in the health insurance industry, is joining BenefitMall as its new Mid-Atlantic market director.

At BenefitMall, a provider of next-gen broker services, Poli will use his industry expertise to oversee sales activities for the Mid-Atlantic market. He will also provide advice, counsel, and guidance to the company’s sales executives and sales representatives.

Most recently, Poli was the VP of Sales and president at Insurance Marketing Center. Under his leadership, the agency grew into a leader in the Mid-Atlantic region, per a news release.