James Hays has joined Wachovia Securities and will be named president of the firm's Private Client Group in mid-January 2006. Hays succeeds James Donley, who has held the position since September 2003 and earlier this year announced plans to retire in 2006. Hays joins Wachovia from Merrill Lynch where he was most recently managing director of the Private Banking and Investment Group, the ultra-high-net-worth division of that firm's Global Private Client Group.
Giovanni Prezioso, general counsel of the Securities and Exchange Commission since 2002, will leave the commission in early 2006 to return to the private sector. Prezioso helped coordinate the commission's efforts to implement extensive rulemaking requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 within the narrow timeframes set by Congress.
Steve McWhorter, Securities America's chief executive officer, has been appointed a member of the NASD's District Four Committee. During his three-year term, which begins in January, McWhorter will help inform the NASD staff of industry changes and trends that may have an impact on the regulatory environment.
Piper Jaffray has promoted Chuck Shirey, an advisor in the Waterloo, Iowa, office, to branch manager.
