Movers in South Florida

Partner at K&L Gates

Karen Salas-Morales has been named a partner in the Miami law office of Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Preston Gates Ellis.

She practices in the fields of international and corporate law, as well as mergers and acquisitions.

Assistant VP at The International Bank of Miami N.A.

Werner Hospinal has been promoted to assistant vice president and senior Bank Secrecy Act analyst at The International Bank of Miami N.A., headquartered in Coral Gables.

He once worked at the bank, but more recently he was a BSA and compliance consultant with American Express Bank International in Miami.

Promotions at Silver Hill Financial

Silver Hill Financial, a real estate lender specializing in small-balance commercial loans, has promoted several individuals on its management team.

• Jorge Alvarez has been promoted to senior vice president of risk management. He joined the company in 2004.
• David Purisch has been promoted to vice president of sales. He joined the company in 2004.
• Eliot Gelber has been promoted to vice president of operations in Miami. He has been with the company since 2005.
• Joe Sanchez has been promoted to assistant vice president of information technology. He joined the company in 2004.
• Amy Treese has been promoted to assistant vice president of marketing. She joined the company in 2004.

Vice president at Community West Bank

Beth Herdegen has been hired as vice president of commercial real estate and SBA lending for the South Florida operations of Community West Bank.

Officers of the Bankruptcy Legal Assistants' Association

Bridgette Elliott, legal assistant at the firm Kluger Peretz Kaplan & Berlin, has been elected for a one year term as president of the Bankruptcy Legal Assistants’ Association for the Southern District of Florida.

Other BLAA officers are:

• Vice-President: Karen McGill, Rachlin, Cohen & Holtz
• Secretary: Mattie Garcia, Julianne R. Frank
• Treasurer: Jaimie Paul, McDonald Hopkins Co.
• Directors: Eva Walton, Rachlin Cohen & Holtz; Lisa Owens, Rachlin Cohen & Holtz; Carmen Thompson, Greeberg Traurig; Michelle Albrecht, Berger Singerman; Ana Perez, Kluger, Peretz, Kaplan & Berlin; and Christine Sequenzia.

Chair of The Realtor Association of Greater Miami and the Beaches

Kimberly A. Kirschner, chief executive of Kirschner Realty International, has been elected as the 2008 chairwoman of the board for the Realtor Association of Greater Miami and the Beaches.

Partners at McDermott Will & Emery

The Miami law firm of McDermott Will & Emery has promoted two of its lawyers.

Jacqueline G. Hodes and Justin B. Uhlemann have been promoted to partner.

Hodes focuses her practice in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, private fund formation, and securities law compliance. Uhlemann focuses his practice on commercial, class action and intellectual property litigation.

Major gifts officer at Miami City Ballet

Rebecca Johnson has been hired as major gifts officer for the Miami City Ballet.

She has worked with non-profit organizations such a Jackson Memorial Hospital Foundation, Adopt-a-Classroom and for two years she was the managing director of the VITAS Hospice Charitable Fund. Before her work with hospice, she was a vice president at TotalBank in Miami.

Assistant vice president at The International Bank of Miami N.A.,

Kenneth Rietz has been hired as assistant vice president of commercial real estate financing at The International Bank of Miami N.A., headquartered in Coral Gables.

He was previously vice president with Angela Miller Investments in Coral Gables.

President and chairman of the Orange Bowl Committee

S. Daniel "Danny" Ponce has been installed as the 70th president and chairman of the Orange Bowl Committee.