DI People: Toyota Motor North America, The Beck Group, Perot Museum of Nature and Science 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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Toyota Motor North America announces executive changes

Plano-headquartered Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) has made a series of executive changes to its operations, effective January 4, 2021.

Ed Mantey, Jeff Makarewicz, John Kennelly, Lisa Materazzo, Monte Kaer, Tadahisa Isono, and Tom Stricker

Toshio Niimi, who is the current general manager at Toyota Motor Corporation’s (TMC) plants in Honsha and Kinuura, Japan, will take on the new role of executive vice president of Production Engineering and Manufacturing at TMNA. His responsibilities include all aspects of Toyota’s North American production engineering operations and 15 manufacturing vehicle, engine, and parts plants.

Tadahisa Isono, the current executive vice president of Production Engineering, will return to TMC as the chief project leader of Global Rebuild Plan and Sustainable Development Goals in its Production Group. Isono will oversee Production Engineering in the Advanced R&D and Engineering Company, Toyota Compact Car Company, Mid-size Vehicle Company, Commercial Vehicle Company, and Lexus International Company.

Lisa Materazzo, vice president of Lexus Marketing at TMNA, will be promoted to group vice president of Toyota Marketing. She will lead all Toyota division market planning, advertising, merchandising, sales promotions, incentives, NASCAR and motorsports, and social and digital media.

Tom Stricker, the current vice president of Product Regulatory Affairs at TMNA, will be promoted to group vice president of Sustainability and Regulatory Affairs. In this role, he will oversee Toyota’s U.S.-based environmental sustainability and regulatory affairs, motor vehicle safety regulations, and enterprise chemical management.

Monte Kaehr, who is the Toyota Sienna chief engineer of TMNA, is being promoted to group vice president of Advanced Mobility Research & Development. Kaehr will have responsibilities for the technical strategy and planning of advanced mobility solutions.

Jeff Makarewicz, who currently serves as the group vice president of Advanced Mobility Research & Development at TMNA, will become the group vice president and executive advisor of Research & Development and Corporate Strategy & Planning.

Edward Mantey, the executive advisor Research & Development and Corporate Strategy & Planning at TMNA, is retiring after some three decades of service, effective Jan. 29.

And John Kennelly, the group vice president of TMNA’s One Toyota Competitiveness, is retiring after more than 16 years of service, also effective Jan. 29, 2021.

Caliber appoints a new COO

David Goldstein

Lewisville-based Caliber, an automotive service provider, has named David Goldstein, its current chief talent officer, as chief operations officer, effective Jan. 1. The appointment coincides with Steve Grimshaw transitioning from CEO to full-time executive chairman and Mark Sanders to president and CEO.

Goldstein has been in the industry since 1988, when he began as a technician in collision repair. Since, he has worked in all phases of the collision repair business including paint, bodywork, structural repair, parts management, and production. He served as Caliber’s SVP of Operations in California before being chosen to lead its Teammate Services group.

“As Caliber’s Chief Talent Officer, Dave has been committed to ensuring that each of our 21,500+ teammates are inspired to reach their full potential,” Sanders said in a statement. “He has focused on every element of Caliber’s culture and teammate success, including training, recruitment, compensation, benefits, and talent development. We’re excited to see his ongoing positive impact on our organization as COO as we continue to grow and expand market share.”

The Beck Group promotes a regional director to COO

Ben Bard

Integrated architecture and construction firm The Beck Group is promoting Ben Bard from regional director in the firm’s Atlanta office to chief operating officer in Dallas.

In his new role, Bard will lead Beck’s operational performance and the regional leadership group. He has been with the company for 15 years, first joining as an assistant project manager and moving his way up as operations manager of the firm’s Florida division before becoming regional director of Atlanta.

Bard replaces Paul Higgins, who has been COO for the last eight years, but is retiring in 2021 after 39 years with the firm.

“Ben exemplifies The Beck Group’s core values. He is a capable leader who succeeds in all he does. During his time as Regional Director in Atlanta, he constantly evolved and grew our business by earning our clients’ trust and spending time in the trenches with his people. He is strategic and has vision,” Higgins said in a statement. “I look forward to assisting Ben transition into his role and to Dallas.”

The Perot Museum of Nature and Science elects Board chair

Karen Katz

The Board of Directors at Dallas’ Perot Museum of Nature and Science has elected Karen Katz as its new chair for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. She succeeds Mac McFarland, who led the Board for the past two years.

Katz is the former president and CEO of the Neiman Marcus Group. During her 33-year tenure and eight years as CEO at the leading Dallas luxury and fashion retailer, she led 15,000 associates through digital transformation, an extended period of growth, innovation, and excellence.

At the Perot Museum, Katz will oversee a diverse board of community representatives. She will continue to serve on the Boards of Under Armour, Humana, and Casper.

“Karen Katz is uniquely qualified to become our next chair, bringing a vast knowledge of the Dallas community, a long corporate history of success, and a thorough understanding of what it takes to move an organization forward in a sustainable and innovative way,” Dr. Linda Silver, Eugene McDermott CEO of the Perot Museum, said in a statement. “We are delighted to have her guide our Board of Directors in the coming year.”

Mohr Partners expands in Austin with a new managing partner

Robert Garrick

Dallas-based Mohr Partners, a commercial real estate advisory firm that exclusively focuses on representing tenants, is bringing on commercial real estate brokerage veteran Robert Garrick to lead an expansion plan in Austin.

In his role as managing partner, Garrick will oversee all transaction management responsibilities for Mohr Partners’ clientsin Austin and lead business development and recruiting. Most recently, he was the market leader for TenantBase, where he was responsible for recruitment, training, and management for commercial real estate brokerage operations in Austin.

“Mohr Partners pipeline of clients looking to relocate, or expand, in Austin is very active and we are fortunate to now have Robert Garrick to advise our clients on their occupancy and supply chain strategies for this dynamic and growing market,” Mohr Partners Chairman and CEO Robert Shibuya said in a statement.

MPOWERHealth names a CTO

Patrick Kelly

Addison-based MPOWERHealth, which offers value-based care solutions for neuromusculoskeletal independent physicians, hospitals and payors, is expanding its leadership team with the addition of Patrick Kelly as chief technology officer.

In the newly created role, Kelly will ensure that MPOWERHealth’s multistate clinically integrated network has secure access to the tools, infrastructure, and knowledge needed for practice optimization, patient outcomes, growth, and migration to value-based care.

He brings more than two decades of healthcare experience to the role, serving at companies such as Stratifi Health, Catalyst Health Network, Loopback Analytics, and Phytel (now IBM Watson Health). His career has most recently focused on helping providers transition from volume- to value-based care.

Vistra gets a new president and CFO

Jim Burke

Irving-based energy company Vistra has appointed Jim Burke as its president and CFO, replacing David Campbell, who is leaving to join Missouri-based Evergy Inc. as CEO.

Burke has been with Vistra and its predecessor companies since 2004, most recently serving as its executive vice president and chief operating officer. In his new role, Burke will be responsible for all accounting, risk, internal audit, treasury, tax, planning, M&A, and investor activities. He will also oversee the critical technology services function.

“Jim’s vast knowledge of the industry and expansive understanding of our company will prove invaluable,” CEO Curt Morgan said in a statement. “During his time here, Jim has led most of Vistra’s teams, giving him unique insight and knowledge of our company and the CFO position will round out Jim’s experience. Jim is highly respected both inside and outside of our company and his strong business and financial acumen, combined with the talents of our existing finance organization, will position Vistra for continued growth and success as we transform our portfolio.”

Yesway expands its senior leadership team

Fort Worth-based Yesway, a fast-growing convenience store chain, is adding two industry veterans to its senior leadership team: Tate Cutrer as SVP of Human Resources and Aaron Everett as chief information officer.

Cutrer joins Yesway from RaceTrac, where he was the director of Talent Development and Learning. There, he also held various senior HR roles. Everett was most recently the CIO for Lucky’s Market, a role in which he led all IT strategy, budgeting, and operational initiatives for the firm’s 75 stores across the U.S.

The appointments coincide with the news that Yesway is opening its new coporate headquarters in the Alliance area of Fort Worth.

Yesway is new to North Texas, having just announced in August 2020 that it was closing its Des Moines, Iowa, headquarters and opening a new HQ in Fort Worth and corporate office in Clovis, New Mexico.

Its portfolio currently consists of 402 store locations in Texas, New Mexico, South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Wyoming, Oklahoma, and Nebraska. That number grew tremendously when Yesway completed its largest acquisition yet of Allsup’s Convenience Stores in November 2019. Allsup’s, a 304-store, 60-year-old chain based in New Mexico, is said to have ‘catapulted’ five-year-old Yesway and its presence.

Learn more about the convenience store operator here.

Consilium Staffing names a VP of Recruiting

John Moberly

Dallas-based Consilium Staffing, a premier locum tenens healthcare staffing firm, is promoting John Moberly to VP of Recruiting, a newly created role.

Moberly is a co-founder and former vice president of Consilium who brings more than two decades of experience to the position. He will be responsible for hiring, training, and developing recruiters, along with assisting with provider marketing and resource development.

“Creating this role for John is an important and exciting step for our company as we continue our growth in 2021 and beyond,” Matthew Baade, executive vice president, said in a statement. “By further investing in the development of our people, we can better serve the needs of our clients and gear up for a transformative new year.”

Paslay Management Group adds a principal

James Bennett

Fort Worth professional management firm Paslay Management Group, which specializes in advising and representing aviation facility owners, is adding James E. Bennett to its team as a principal.

Bennett brings more than 40 years of experience in airport leadership to the firm, serving as CEO at large and small and foreign and domestic airports. According to PMG, his expertise includes a strong understanding of airport performance while managing the corporate risks that could prevent an airport from achieving its goals.

“Given the breadth and depth of his experience and expertise in the governance, executive management, development, and strategic business planning of all aspects of the airport enterprise, Jim will bring significant value to our clients and the firm,” Clay Paslay, PMG president and managing partner, said in a statement. “His leadership and experience will be invaluable as PMG continues to leverage the diverse array of expertise and talent PMG has been fortunate enough to develop over the past 15 years.”

Suffolk hires a VP for Dallas

John B. Hood

Suffolk, a builder and real estate enterprise, is bringing on John B. Hood as its vice president for Dallas.

In his role, Hood will be tasked with developing and supporting strategies to expand Suffolk’s network, broaden its brand reach and presence, and build client relationships in the North Texas region. Most recently, Hood held real estate and project management positions with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and SYSCO Corporation in Houston.

He has vast experience in managing projects across numerous market sectors, including healthcare, industrial, sports, multi-family, government facilities, corporate offices, aviation, and hospitality.

“We are thrilled to welcome John to our Suffolk team,” Mark Penny, general manager of Suffolk Dallas, said in a statement. “His diverse experience as an owner, designer and general contractor allows him to foster collaborative industry relationships and brings a unique perspective to our efforts and plans to expand our presence in this strategic, high-growth region.”

BPS Technology makes leadership moves

Baron Lukas

Argyle-based BPS Technology is strengthening its executive team with the appointments of Baron Lukas as president and Cindy Peters as VP of Operations.

BPS Technology, formerly BPS JET, is a privately held holding company that works to identify, develop, and acquire technologies that can “create chemical solutions that deliver superior products across a number of industry sectors.”

Lukas, the current chief governance officer, has been named president to drive strategic initiatives across the firm’s operating entities. A retired United States Marine Corps Colonel, Lukas has held a number of C-suite, board, and advisory positions, and has served 27 years as a fighter pilot, commander, staff officer, and instructor.

He also sits on the Board of Managers for BPS Technology, BPS Agriculture, BPS Oil and Gas, and Shotwell Hydrogenics.

Cindy Peters

Peters, who is new to BPS Technology, is joining as VP of Operations to oversee operational excellence. In her role, she will direct operations and process improvement activities to meet current and growth trajectory needs. She brings more than two decades of manufacturing industry experience to the company.

“We’re at a pivotal growth stage for our BPS Technology family of companies, and Baron and Cindy will be exceptional stewards on this next phase of our journey,” CEO Bravis Brown said in a statement. “Cindy has a breadth and depth of experience in the manufacturing industry, and her approach to continuous improvement, organizational growth and strategy, and lean manufacturing expertise will help round out our executive crew. Baron has brought a great perspective and expertise around governance and business operations to our team, and we’re excited to see where he takes the company moving forward.”

Cooksey Communications adds an account manager

Mary-Kate Jeffries

Dallas-based strategic communications firm Cooksey Communications has appointed Mary Kate Jeffries as a new account manager.

Jeffries has a been in public relations for two decades, in which she managed strategic communications for some of the nation’s most prominent companies and PR agencies. Prior to Cooksey, she worked in-house to develop content and coorindate PR campaigns for luxury resort properties.

“Mary Kate’s understanding of the regional business, civic and media landscape, as well as her deep experience in development and high-level execution of strategic PR and marketing plans, makes her an excellent fit for the Cooksey team,” Colby Walton, president of Cooksey Communications, said in a statement. “Beyond her knowledge of a wide range of industries and PR best practices, Mary Kate adds to Cooksey’s collaborative culture and brings great management to key client accounts.”