NEW YORK — Matt Herrick (pictured), most recently a Story Partners senior VP, is the Rockefeller Foundation’s new managing director of communications. Herrick founded and managed Story Partners’ food practice.  During his 16-year career, Herrick also served as communications director for the US Agency for International Development, US Department of Agriculture and Oxfam America.

BELLEVUE, WASHINGTON — T-Mobile’s Janice Kapner has been promoted to executive VP of communications and community engagement, her second promotion since joining the company as a VP in 2013.  For the last three years, Kapner has served as senior VP of corporate communications, as which she leads the breadth of initiatives — internal and external communications, crisis management and corporate giving among others. In announcing her promotion, T-Mobile credited Kapner with the company’s inclusion last year in 38% of all news stories about wireless, up from 18% in 2014.

FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA — Northrop Grumman has named Yolanda Murphy VP of communications for its technology services sector, succeeding Alleace Gibbs, who will now serve as VP of communications for the company's mission systems sector. In their new roles, Murphy and Gibbs will lead the communications teams of their respective sectors and will be responsible for the development, integration and implementation of a broad range of communications activities. Murphy will become a new member of Northrop Grumman's Communications Council. Gibbs will remain a member of that leadership group. 

NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT — Melinta Therapeutics has hired healthcare industry vet Lisa DeFrancesco as its senior VP of investor relations. DeFrancesco joins the antibiotics company from Allergen, where she most recently served as VP of investor relations. She replaces John Bluth, who stepped down as executive VP of investor relations and corporate communications in December.