Bob Francl joins Nevada State Development Corporation board; NNBV people briefs for Sept. 2018

EDITOR’S NOTE: Northern Nevada Business View people briefs are published on a monthly basis and compiled from submissions emailed to the newsroom at editor@nnbw.com. Please note that submissions are published at editorial discretion, and some briefs may publish online only due to print space limitations. Below are people briefs for September 2018.

Bob Francl

Bob Francl, EVP and regional president at First Independent Bank, has joined the Nevada State Development Corporation (NSDC) Board of Directors.

Francl’s term officially began June of 2018. He joins nine other NSDC board members statewide who help guide the organization as it works to facilitate growth of the state’s small and medium-sized businesses through SBA lending solutions, as well as business advocacy services.

Brooks Westergard

Dickinson Wright PLLC announced attorney Brooks Westergard has joined the firm’s Reno office as Associate in the Commercial and Business Litigation practice group.

Westergard’s practice focuses on litigation. He is an active member in the American Inns of Court, Bruce R. Thompson Chapter and the Nevada State Bar Young Lawyers Section. He received his B.A. from UNR and his J.D. from Willamette University College of Law.

Alison J. Zucker

Blanchard, Krasner & French, APC announced Alison J. Zucker has joined the firm’s Reno office.

Zucker received her J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School and is licensed to practice in Nevada. Prior to law school, she received her bachelor’s degree from UNR. Her community involvements include the Canine Rehabilitation Center and Sanctuary and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Elizabeth Kauchak

Dermody Properties has hired 18-year industrial real estate veteran, Elizabeth Kauchak, as the company’s Chief Operating Officer.

Before joining Dermody, Kauchak was Vice President/Market Officer for Prologis in the Bay Area, where she oversaw the leasing and property management teams for the company’s existing 19.6 million square foot portfolio. Go to dermody.com/team/elizabeth-kauchak to learn more.

Flip Wright

Flip Wright, formerly EVP of Strategy and Innovation, has been named EVP and Chief Brand Officer at Wide Awake. With nearly 20 years of strategic marketing and brand expertise, Flip is integrally involved in guiding the strategic development of a variety of marketing initiatives for Wide Awake clients.

Flip started his career in gaming working in casino marketing and VIP services for the Peppermill Resort Spa Casino. He holds a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Arizona and an MBA from the University of Oregon.

Dawnyel Ray

Dawnyel Ray has been named the new Branch Manager of Greater Nevada Credit Union’s (GNCU) Dayton Branch.

Ray joins the Carson City-based GNCU with more than seven years of banking experience, including previous roles as an assistant branch manager and a personal banker. She also has six years of management experience within the car rental business.

Ray teaches financial literacy classes in Carson City for the Department of Health and Welfare. She also teaches Junior Achievement courses in local Northern Nevada school districts.

Ayse Caglar

KPS3 Marketing has hired Ayse Caglar as vice president of client strategy. Caglar brings over 10 years of successful integrated marketing and communications experience to the agency.

She will collaborate and engage with KPS3 clients across the county to lead client services and strategy for traditional, digital, social and technological solutions. Caglar joins KPS3 from Sierra Nevada Corporation, where she most recently served as the chief of staff to the president. Caglar earned her B.A. in journalism from UNR in 2005, and her MBA there in 2007.

Nicole Turner

Chase International recently welcomed Nicole Turner to its Carson Valley office in Minden.

Her cache of talent comes from years owning the first home health care business in Douglas County and as the Elder Center director of the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California.

Al Rogers

Reno resident Al Rogers recently acquired his real estate license and is now assisting his clients through Chase International.

For over 30 years, Rogers worked in local government and education, including a stint as director in the Executive Office of the County Manager with Washoe County.

Nevada Realtors

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) recently announced its national committee chair and vice-chair appointments for 2019. Las Vegas-based members Scott Beaudry, Bobbi Miracle and Soozi Jones Walker were among those appointed.

Beaudry will chair NAR’s Data Strategies Committee in 2019. Miracle was selected to chair NAR’s Federal Technology Policy Committee in 2019. Walker will serve as vice-chair for NAR’s Commercial Real Estate Research Advisory Board.

Barbara Galgiani

LP Insurance Services, Inc. welcomes Barbara Galgiani to the LP Insurance team.

Galgiani has been a marine insurance leader for more than 20 years. She will continue to focus on both recreational and commercial marine risk and coverage. Most recently, Galgiani led an entire subsidiary of her previous brokerage in the Central Valley of Northern California.

Shane Thompson

Sierra Nevada Properties announced the addition of Shane Thompson to its management team at its Incline Village office.

With over 20 years of experience in the residential mortgage and real estate industry, Thompson has achieved a high level of success, selling well over 100 homes in a single year. As the new Manager of Sierra Nevada Properties - Incline Village, he is focused on helping other agents reach their goals by sharing experiences and promoting best business practices for successful careers in real estate.

Eric Luhrs

Kidder Mathews announced that Eric Luhrs has been recruited to oversee the company’s Northern California and Nevada regions as executive vice president of brokerage. In his new role, he will lead the firm’s San Francisco, Redwood City, San Jose, Sacramento, Roseville and Reno offices, with a focus on strategic business development and recruitment of top brokerage talent for the firm.

Luhrs has been in the Bay Area commercial real estate industry for more than 30 years and has been involved in over 20 million square feet of investment sales and lease transactions.

Tobie Serafini and Kelly O’Connor

Tobie Serafini and Kelly O’Connor have joined First American Title Insurance Company as escrow officers based in the company’s Reno office.

A native of the Sparks/Reno community, Serafini has worked in title and escrow since 1995. Over the course of her career, she has closed all types of transactions, including residential, commercial, short sales, REOs and 1031 exchanges.

O’Connor, who moved to Reno from Incline Village in 2009, has been in the industry since 2004. She is now taking on additional responsibilities as an escrow officer, working alongside Serafini as a team.

Chelsey Brice

Chelsey Brice has joined the Estipona Group as an account executive, where she is responsible for strategically helping her clients reach their business goals on time and on budget.

Since graduating from the UNR School of Journalism, Brice has worked in account management and public relations for a variety of local, regional and national clients. She is currently serving as president of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Sierra Nevada Chapter.