People in the News

The Delaware Valley Regional Economic Development Fund, a nonprofit organization that provides financing for economic development projects, has hired John Coffman as executive director. He had been director of external affairs at Lower Bucks Hospital.

WSFS Financial Corp., the parent company of WSFS Bank, hired David H. Hargarten as senior vice president and marketing director. Hargarten had been managing director of cash management solutions at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and managing director of Merrill Edge Client Acquisition.

Suzanne Gallagher was hired as vice president of mission services at Mercy Philadelphia Hospital, West Philadelphia. She had been director of the master's in education program, associate professor in the School of Education, adviser, and thesis director at Gwynedd-Mercy College.

Hotel Palomar Philadelphia, a boutique Center City hotel that is part of Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants, hired Travis Breen as director of sales and marketing. Breen was the associate director of sales for Lorien Hotel & Spa, Hotel Monaco, and Morrison House in Alexandria, Va.

Electronic Ink Inc., a Philadelphia business-system design consultancy, hired Mitchell Chi as executive vice president of client strategy. Mitchell had been senior vice president of life sciences and sales operations for Health Market Science Inc.

    Urban Engineers Inc., a Philadelphia provider of planning, design, and construction services, promoted James A. Bilella to vice president. He will continue leading the firm's mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection division.

Flagship Credit Acceptance, a Chadds Ford national indirect automobile-finance company, hired Robert Cullinan as senior vice president-sales and marketing, and Jeff Haymore as vice president-national director of sales. Cullinan had been sales director and vice president of sales with CitiFinancial Auto. Haymore had previously been with Guardian Warranty Corp. and had been senior vice president at Capital One.

TD Bank promoted Walter C. Unangst to senior vice president in the Healthcare Financial Services Group in Philadelphia, from vice president of the unit.

The Visiting Nurse Association of Greater Philadelphia said Dr. Stanley J. Savinese would be the full-time medical director of its Hospice of Philadelphia. He is a member of the Palliative Care Team at Temple University Medical Center and mentors medical students and residents as a preceptor for Temple University, Drexel University, and the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Larry E. Burns was hired as senior vice president, commercial lending, at Conestoga Bank's Blue Bell location. He had been vice president and senior commercial lending officer with First Niagara Bank, Maple Glen.

Grant Thornton L.L.P., the U.S. member firm of Grant Thornton International Ltd., a global audit, tax, and advisory organization, named Victoria Raivitch a partner in the firm's Philadelphia office.

Precyse, a Wayne and Alpharetta, Ga., provider of health-information management services and technologies, named Kristen Saponaro vice president of marketing. Saponaro most recently was the principal of Saponaro Communications L.L.C., a consulting firm that supported Precyse in its recent rebranding.

John Stoddart was hired as investment portfolio manager at DNB First Wealth Managemen. He had been an investment portfolio manager at Graystone Wealth Management and its predecessor, First National Wealth Management.

MTI Information Technologies, Langhorne, named Chad Theesfeld vice president, business development. Theesfeld had been account executive at Cegedim Relationship Management.

KPMG L.L.P., the audit, tax and advisory firm, named James Raymond managing director in the firm's tax practice in the Philadelphia office. He had been a tax senior manager in the financial services organization of Ernst & Young.

The Pennsylvania Chemical Industry Council, a Harrisburg trade organization, named Jeff Peters president. Peters joined Bravo Group as a senior adviser after a career at Sunoco. Bravo manages the PCIC and provides government relations, communications and PR, and administrative and technology services for the organization.

- Mike Zebe