MIAMI—JeffreyGroup, the Latin America marketing and corporate communications agency, has named Asher Levine (pictured) as managing director at the firm's Miami headquarters. Levine will report to CEO Brian Burlingame and oversee the pan-regional team, which specializes in managing strategic multi-market communications programs. He comes to JeffreyGroup from Thomson Reuters, where he spent the last four years as a Sao Paulo-based correspondent covering the rapid changes taking place across Latin America’s corporate and political environments.

NEW YORK—Porter Novelli has named Melissa Kraus Taylor has been named managing director of the agency's Atlanta office. Taylor is responsible for talent management and the strategic growth of the office, reporting to Brad MacAfee, president, North America. Most recently, Taylor—a 17-year veteran of the firm—served as executive vice president and deputy managing director in Atlanta.

SAN FRANCISCO—Abernathy MacGregor has named managing director Heather Wilson as head of its San Francisco office. Wilson was previously based in the firm’s Los Angeles office. In her new role, she will oversee the firm’s Bay Area operations, continue to advise clients and help drive growth for the firm. Additionally, Amy Feng, most recently an executive vice president in Abernathy MacGregor’s LA office, has also joined the San Francisco office.

CHICAGO—Public Communications Inc. has named Wendi Koziol its newest senior vice president. Koziol, who joined the PCI team in 1999 as an assistant account executive, has advanced in the agency while providing strategic counsel and account management to healthcare, education, and cultural institution clients.

WASHINGTON, DC—Public affairs firm Agenda has hired energy policy expert Jeff Crater as its new senior energy advisor. Crater joins Agenda with more than 20 years of experience handling nuclear, fossil and renewable energy-related issues, serving the US House Energy & Commerce Committee and US Department of Energy and consulting for national utility brands such as PEPCO, Southern Company. He also held senior leadership roles at The Babcock & Wilcox Company and BWX Technologies.