DALLAS — Rick French, the founder, chairman and CEO of French/West/Vaughan chairman, has joined the Buddy Holly Educational Foundation board of directors. French will be working to promote the mission of the Dallas-based nonprofit, which promotes musical education, and assists schools that don’t have to funds to offer it. French’s nonprofit work includes serving as a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum trustee and chairing Teen Cancer America’s advisory committee.

NEW YORK — Baretz+Brunelle has promoted two of its execs — managing director Kelsey Nason and chief marketing and business development officer Ken Gary — to partner. Nason’s focus is developing and managing communications and business strategies for top-tier law firms. Over the last year, Gary has been key in growing Baretz+Brunelle’s work in the legal technology space. In addition, the firm, which launched in 2016, promoted Poonam Jain to COO, Sarah Andries to director and Leora Goldfarb and Jessica Klein to senior associate.

ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA — Beehive Strategic Communication has upped Nicki Gibbs to executive VP of strategy, as which she will lead client strategy as well as business and services development.  Gibbs most recently served as the agency’s senior VP of strategy. Before joining Beehive in 2005, Gibbs spent nearly a decade at Weber Shandwick.