Executive Items

Engineering

Christine Villarreal has joined SCS Engineers as a senior project professional. She previously was a senior project scientist at GEL Engineering. She has bachelor's degree in wildlife biology from Texas A&M University.

Financial

Ralph Grant has been named agency investment specialist at The South Carolina Agency. He recently retired from OppenheimerFunds Inc., where he had been director of the Southeast division since 2001. He is a registered principal and a chartered retirement plan counselor.

He has a bachelor's degree from Eastern Connecticut State University and a master's degree for the University of Connecticut.

Health care

Tamela Sill has been named director of medical and surgical services at Summerville Medical Center. She has a bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of Tennessee and a master's degree in nursing administration from the Medical University of South Carolina. She has more than 18 years of experience.

Law

Ashley Cooper has joined Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP's Charleston office as a partner. His practice will focus on energy law, regulatory and administrative law, and litigation.

He previously was with Ogletree Deakins and was assistant general counsel for federal energy regulatory matters and chief compliance officer for federal standards of conduct at Scana Corp.

He also was legislative director and counsel to former U.S. Sen. Ernest F. Hollings. He has a bachelor's degree in economics from Clemson University and a law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law.

Timothy J.W. Muller has joined Rosen Rosen & Hagood, LLC as an associate attorney. He practices in the areas of construction litigation, commercial litigation and government law.

He has bachelor's degree in international relations from Grand Valley State University and a law degree from the Charleston School of Law.

Robert Buchanan Hawk has joined Young Clement Rivers LLP's Charleston office as an associate. He will practice with the special task litigation, professional liability and commercial transactions practice groups. He has a bachelor's degree in economics from Davidson College and a law degree from the University Of South Carolina School Of Law.

Real estate

Edward J. Kercher Jr. has been named executive vice president and partner with Coppedge & Tison. He has been with the Charleston-based commercial real estate firm since June 2006 and has 20 years of experience. He has a bachelor's degree in economics from Florida State University.

Michael Wise has been named as the division head of the Southern Shores Real Estate Group's commercial real estate and business development divisions. He has a bachelor's degree from The Citadel and a master's degree in business administration from the University of Georgia. Prior to entering real estate, he was with Cox Enterprises in Atlanta.

Clint Altman has joined the Mount Pleasant office of AgentOwned Realty as an agent. He has six years of real estate experience he has been president and chief executive officer of two transportation companies in Georgia and Florida.