Holt Lunsford Commercial has a new chief operating officer, UCR lured a broker away from The Weitzman Group, TIG Real Estate Services has a new vice president, and Hillwood Properties named a new director of communications, all in this week’s personnel news.

Sam Gillespie

• Sam Gillespie has been named chief operating officer at Holt Lunsford Commercial, where he will work with a team that leases and manages more than 40 million square feet of office and industrial real estate. The 30-year industry veteran joins the firm from Behringer Harvard Real Estate Investments where he was executive vice president and chief operating officer of the value and opportunistic platform.

Matthew Hickey

• Matthew Hickey has been named senior vice president at TIG Real Estate Services where he will focus on project leasing, brokerage and business cultivation. He joins the company from Compass Bank, where he was vice president and commercial asset manager. Hickey has more than 25 years of project leasing, brokerage, and asset management experience.

• Chris Young has been named vice president at United Commercial Realty, where he will work with the firm’s institutional shopping center clients and national and regional retail clients. He currently provides tenant representation for Duckwall ALCO, Gio’s Café & New York Deli, Mr. Wok Asian Bistro, The Salad Stop, and others. Prior to joining UCR, Young was an assistant vice president with The Weitzman Group.

Mercedes Bolen

• Mercedes Bolen has been named director of communications at Hillwood Properties, where she will be responsible for the management of customer service, public relations and photography services, as well as planning and implementation of all media and marketing strategies. Prior to joining Hillwood, Bolen served as public affairs manager for Chesapeake Energy, where her responsibilities included government relations, community affairs, and public education for the Barnett Shale.