CHICAGO—Ogilvy Public Relations has appointed Heather Wilson executive vice president and director of the agency’s Chicago corporate group, reporting to managing director Nathan Friedman. Wilson spent the past six years at Weber Shandwick where she ran the West Coast corporate and crisis management practice based out of Los Angeles. She was also the global lead for the agency’s digital crisis management and brand defense team.

NEW YORK—Marina Maher Communications has promoted Maree Prendergast, head of human resources, talent & organizational development, has been promoted to executive vice president. Since joining MMC in 2008, Prendergast has been responsible for ensuring high employee satisfaction as measured by employee retention rates and annual employee surveys that consistently are higher than industry averages.

NEW YORK—Greentarget has hired Steven DiMattia as a senior vice president to lead its New York office. DiMattia joins Greentarget from EVC Group, an investor and public relations firm, where he most recently served as president. He opened EVC’s New York office in 2005 and led the firm’s public relations and crisis practices, focused on medical technology, industrial, and banking clients. Prior to EVC Group, Steve worked at boutique public relations firm Starkman & Associates and at Morgen-Walke Associates, now FTI Consulting.

MINNEAPOLIS—Padilla Speer Beardsley has hired Lara Kavanaugh as director of digital strategy and implementation, serving clients in the firm’s Minneapolis and New York offices; and Amy Epstein as vice president in the firm’s New York office. Kavanaugh previously worked for Scales Advertising, BBDO Proximity and Carmichael Lynch for clients such as CITGO, H&R Block and Cargill. Epstein worked at ABI, a global marketing and public relations agency with offices in New York, London and Singapore.

OAKBROOK TERRACE, IL—JSH&A Public Relations has promoted Deanna Killackey to senior vice president and Jennifer Nau to senior account supervisor. Killackey has spent nine years with the firm, working for many of the agency’s marquee clients, including Beam, ConAgra Foods, McDonald’s and Midas International. She also oversees the agency’s growing Social LIF function, developing and managing social media tools for various clients. Nau is a seven-year veteran of the firm.

PORTLAND, OR—Lane PR has promoted Amber Roberts to vice president, Ted Lane to senior account executive and Rob Bitter to account executive. In her new role, Roberts leads the firm’s New York office and will continue to work with consumer, financial services and technology clients and provide counsel on investor relations and mergers and acquisitions. Prior to joining Lane, she was at Waggener Edstrom and Robinson Lerer & Montgomery.