Left to right: NYWICI immediate past president Linda Kaplan Thaler; The NYT's Gail Collins; and new board president Catherine Mathis at a meeting last month

Publicis Consultants, part of MSLGroup, has named Michael Echter director of client engagement and growth. Echter was previously the new business lead for MSL New York, and will continue to be based in NYC. He joined the firm in 2000.

Twitter founders Biz Stone and Evan Williams, as well as Jason Goldman, a Twitter executive, are stepping away from the day-to-day at the microblogging company in order to relaunch The Obvious Corporation, which will focus on issues like those facing nonprofits. Obvious was started to purchase failed start ups and spawned Twitter.

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Barbara DeBuono

Dr. Barbara DeBuono has been appointed president and CEO of ORBIS International, a nonprofit that treats blindness and provides eye health care around the world. Dr. DeBuono was previously chief medical officer and global director of public health and social marketing at Porter Novelli. PN has appointed Susan Hayes to the global director of public health position. Hayes has worked at a number of firms previously, including her own, S. Hayes Consulting. In her new role, she’ll work out of the New York office reporting to Julie Winskie, global president, clients.

Lizelda Lopez has rejoined Ogilvy PR West as VP of the public affairs practice. Lopez was most recently an appointee in former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger‘s administration. Now, besides her work in the public affairs area, Lopez will help with multicultural outreach in California.

Burson-Marsteller has appointed Lisa Travatello to the position of global consumer and brand marketing practice chair and creative director. She’ll also sit on the Business Operations Team, which is comprised the firm’s senior execs. She was previously EVP and curator of creativity at Current Lifestyle Marketing and has served as EVP and chief creative officer at Weber Shandwick.

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