NEW YORK—Makovsky has appointed Tom Jones and Alexandra Peterson, both senior vice presidents, to lead the agency’s health practice. Prior to joining Makovsky in 2011, Jones was an executive director at Novartis, heading public relations programs in respiratory, dermatology, neuroscience, diabetes, arthritis and gastrointestinal franchises. Peterson joined Makovsky in 2014, having worked at MSLGroup, Ruder Finn and Emanate. Supporting Jones and Peterson will be Lee Davies, senior vice president, and Arielle Bernstein, group vice president, as part of an extended leadership following the departure of longtime practice head Gil Bashe.

NEW YORK—Aspectus has appointed Jed Hamilton as its new managing director for North America. Hamilton was most recently director of corporate communications for Jibe, an enterprise recruitment technology provider. Before that, he held positions at Intermarket and financial technology firm Portware.

WASHINGTON, DC—Stratacomm has hired Jacqueline Bengel as a vice president in the company’s Washington, DC office. Prior to joining Stratacomm, Bengel was a senior account director at Home Front Communications where she led a sizable portfolio of accounts managing public relations, advertising, media relations and digital services for a variety of government, non-profit and association clients.

MINNEAPOLIS—Tunheim has added Adam Axvig as a consultant on its public affairs team. A veteran of several campaigns, Axvig served as communications staff for US Senator Norm Coleman’s re-election bid in 2008 and held leadership positions in Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus campaigns in 2010 and 2012. Most recently, Adam served as communications director at the Minnesota AgriGrowth Council.

NEW YORK—Version 2.0 Communications has added Elissa Ehrlich as vice president. Ehrlich will lead business developments efforts in New York, recruit talent and tap into her press relationships for clients across the agency’s portfolio. She most recently served as a director at Bateman Group, a technology public relations agency.