Executive Items

Banking

Marc Bogan, the Charleston-based coastal regional executive for Ameris Bank, has been promoted to executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Georgia-based financial institution. His responsibilities include retail operations, information technology, marketing, training and advertising for the entire company. Bogan will maintain offices in Charleston and Moultrie, Ga. Also, Richard Sturm has been promoted to president of Ameris Bank in South Carolina, adding the Charleston market and others to his areas of responsibilities. Previously, he was a regional executive for all Ameris offices in South Carolina west of Interstate 95. Sturm is a graduate of University of South Carolina. Also, Mze Wilkins was named regional executive for South Carolina at Ameris. She is a graduate of Columbia College and has more than 25 years of banking industry experience.

Construction

Earl S. Smalley III has become a shareholder and been promoted to vice president of Celek and Celek Construction Inc., which specializes in site development and earthwork projects. Smalley has been with the Hollywood-based company since its founding in 1989. He graduated from Charleston Southern University.

Education

Constance A. Anastopoulo and Paul E. Lund will serve as visiting law professors at the Charleston School of Law for the 2008-09 school year. Lund is a former associate dean of Appalachian School of Law. He will teach contracts and civil procedure. Anastopoulo is a partner with Anastopoulo & Clore Law Firm in Charleston, She will teach torts to first-year students. She has a law degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law and a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia.

Engineering

Woolpert Inc. has hired Stephen Allen, Stephen Barnes and Marcella Kolmeier at its Charleston office.

Allen is a project manager in the site and civil design group. He has more than 10 years of experience in site design involving drainage, water and sewer on commercial and residential projects. He is a registered professional engineer in Charleston and Florida.

Barnes is a land planner in the planning and design group with two years of experience in commercial design. He is working toward professional registration in landscape architecture.

Kolmeier is a proposal coordinator and administrative assistant with more than eight years of experience in the architecture and engineering industry.

Health care

Dr. Francis W. Shealy III has joined the Draisin Vision Group in West Ashley. He has a biology degree from the College of Charleston, and he attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry. He served in the Air Force as a staff optometrist.

Law

James Taylor Anderson III has become an associate at the law firm of Kernodle Taylor & Root. Anderson is a graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law and is licensed in Georgia and South Carolina. He will practice in the areas of products liability, construction defect litigation, and general civil litigation.

Nonprofit

Drayton Hall has hired Monte Parsons in the new position of director of individual giving. She was a donor relations manager and associate director of philanthropy with the S.C. chapter of The Nature Conservancy. Parsons is a graduate of the University of South Carolina with a degree in political science.

Real estate

Martha Freshley has joined the sales staff at Places, which specializes in residential properties in East Cooper and downtown Charleston. She worked in retail sales and finance in Augusta.

Ann Pope has joined Lane & Smythe Real Estate Brokers. She has a finance degree from Wofford College.

Alton Rentz, Kimberly Ghaemmaghami and Lidija Jugo have joined the Charleston division of Ryland Homes. Rentz is sales counselor at the home builder's Taylortation community in North Charleston. He's a graduate of The Citadel and has more than 19 years of real estate experience, mostly in new home sales. Ghaemmaghami is a sales assistant in the Arbor Walk community in Summerville. She has a degree in business administration from Coastal Carolina University. Jugo is sales assistant in the Nelliefield development off Clements Ferry Road. She has a degree in interior design from the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Colin Landrith has joined Avocet Properties and David Ellis has been promoted at the Folly Beach firm. Landrith is a vacation specialist in the property management division. He has spent several years working in the hospitality industry and is a graduate of the College of Charleston. Ellis, promoted to property services manager, will oversee property owner relations. He is a graduate of the University of Tennessee.

Monique Scarlett-Fox has been promoted to office manager at Fred Wichmann Realtors. She has been with the firm for 10 years.

June Fleming has joined Anchor Commercial/CORFAC International as a commercial property manager. She has experience in commercial and residential real estate. She has a degree in business administration from the College of Charleston.

Cyndy Keyes has joined the Mount Pleasant office of Beautiful Homes Realty, specializing in corporate and residential relocations. Before entering the real estate business in 2007, she was a teaching tennis professional at Kiawah Island Resort and elsewhere. She also was a corporate recruiter in the financial services industry. Keyes graduated from Guilford College in North Carolina.