Arkansas - Gov. Asa Hutchinson appointed Amy Fecher as the state's first secretary of Transformation and Shared Services, a consolidated technology department that will begin operations July 1. Fecher currently serves the state as the chief transformation officer of the Governor's Office of Transformation. She also is executive vice president of operations at the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, and Governor Hutchinson's designee to the Delta Regional Authority's Board of Governors. She has worked for more than 15 years in the public and not-for-profit sector. Fecher was director of the Arkansas Department of Rural Services, and she served in former Gov. Mike Huckabee's administration.
Ohio - Mike Gasser, board chairman at The Ohio State University, on May 24 announced his resignation, effective immediately. Gasser was appointed in 2012 to a term scheduled to end in 2021. He serves as executive chairman of the board of an industrial shipping container company where he began as an internal auditor in 1979.
New Mexico - Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham appointed Todd Christensen as the next director of the New Mexico Film Office. Christensen was previously the office's locations manager. He takes over for interim director Rochelle Bussey who moves to a position as senior operations manager for the Film Office. Christensen has scouted and managed locations for all the major motion picture studios and completed 10 movies in New Mexico.
California - San Francisco State University will welcome Lynn Mahoney as its new president starting on July 15. The university's board of trustees appointed Mahoney on May 22 to succeed outgoing president Leslie Wong who announced his retirement last October. Mahoney is the provost and vice president for academic affairs at California State University in Los Angeles. She previously served as associate vice president for undergraduate studies and interim vice provost and dean of undergraduate studies at California State University in Long Beach. Her additional experience includes leadership roles at State University of New York at Purchase as associate provost for integrative learning, vice president for students, and faculty member.
West Virginia - The city of Weston selected Chad Minnick as its new city manager. Minnick, who began in his new role in May, began his professional career with the city of Huntington as a program assistant in the city's Public Works Department. He then advanced to become a stormwater program coordinator for Huntington and then the city of Martinsburg in 2017.
Kentucky - Linda Edwards is stepping down as executive director for business development, sales, and marketing for Kentucky Ventures after 25 years in the Louisville tourism industry. Kentucky Ventures oversees the Kentucky Exposition Center and the Kentucky International Convention Center.