WASHINGTON, DC—Hill+Knowlton Strategies has hired Richard Keil, former lead White House correspondent, as an executive vice president in its global corporate practice focusing on media relations, crisis and public affairs. Keil most recently served in various roles in the public and government affairs department at the Irving, Tex., headquarters of the ExxonMobil, where he helped devise and implement the company’s public profile and engagement with key media and policy stakeholders. Before joining ExxonMobil, Keil served as a senior communications advisor at Purple Strategies and before that at Public Strategies, since merged with H+K.

WASHINGTON, DC—Story Partners has hired Matt Herrick as senior vice president and head of the agency’s growing food, agriculture and trade practice. Herrick led communications for the US Department of Agriculture and the US Agency for International Development and served across two Presidential administrations. In addition to his expertise on food safety issues, GMO labeling laws and innovations in food and farming, he worked on global issues from agricultural development in post-Taliban Afghanistan to the Ebola pandemic to the outbreak of avian influenza.

NEW YORK—Kas Rigas, former group director of MSLGroup’s consumer practice, joined APCO Worldwide as a senior director in the firm’s food, consumer products & retail practice. Rigas most recently managed campaigns for MSL clients including Emirates Airline, Nutella, Tic Tac, Ferrero Rocher, Jenny Craig and NatureBox. Prior to joining MSL, she served as managing director and senior vice president for MWW Group’s consumer practice.

WASHINGTON, DC—FleishmanHillard public affairs subsidiary GMMB has hired Angy Peterson as senior vice president for digital strategy and content. Angy will oversee digital content development and advertising, social media strategy, user experience, and web design and development. Prior to joining GMMB, she was vice president of product and experience at Sightline Media Group, which publishes Military Times, Defense News, Federal Times and C4ISR & Networks.

MONTREAL—National Public Relations has appointed Nancy Arab and Michael Goehring as partners. Arab joined National in 2013 and is based in Calgary and specializes in employee communications, while Michael Goehring has been with the firm's Vancouver office since 2000 and is a public affairs specialist.

CLEVELAND—Dix & Eaton has promoted Matt Barkett to chief client officer, He will also continue to direct the firm’s crisis communications services. In addition, David Loomis becomes chief marketing officer; Kevin Poor becomes a managing director and retains responsibility for creative services; and David Hertz, managing director, assumes leadership of media relations services.

SAN FRANCISCO—Tiffany Darmetko has joined InkHouse as a vice president in the firm's San Francisco office and enterprise technology PR practice. She joins from Pan Communications and earlier worked at MSLGroup.