BILL BURKE has joined The VIA Group as a strategic advisor. Burke has held positions as president and CEO of The Weather Channel Companies, president of TBS Superstation, and CEO of news and information for Time Warner Digital Media. At VIA, Burke will work to develop new growth strategies, marketing innovations, and client relationships.

Active Interest Media has named VAL WEAVER editorial director of its Healthy Living Group, which includes flagship titles Vegetarian Times and Better Nutrition. Weaver, who executed and oversaw the Vegetarian Times relaunch, has also served as editor-in-chief of Remedy Magazine, founding managing editor and then editor-in-chief of Self Magazine, managing editor of Working Woman, and beauty/health editor of Harpers Bazaar.

Draft New York has hired JIM SANSEVERO as senior vice president, group account director for its Bank of America account. Sansevero will report to Liz Deutch, who along with Laurence Boschetto, heads up the Bank of America business. Sansevero joins Draft from Citigate Albert Frank and Citigate Communications where he served as senior managing director of North America, overseeing U.S. advertising, branding, and public relations activities for the London-based company. His core clientele included JP Morgan, Societe Generale, Deloitte Consulting, and CEMEX.

Draft has also promoted ROBERT ELMER, formerly vice president, account director, to senior vice president, account director in Draft's Account Services department. CYNTHIA VERRONE, formerly group research director, has been named senior vice president, group research director for Draft's Strategic Planning and Research group. Prior to joining Draft in November 2000, Elmer was a senior brand manager at R.J. Reynolds Tobacco in North Carolina. Verrone joined Draft in 1996 after serving as SVP, executive research director at then Backer Spielvogel Bates in New York. While there, Verrone managed the strategic planning function for several New York accounts, including then M&M/Mars, …

Klipmart Corporation has hired AJ VERNET as director of west coast sales operations. Vernet was formerly with United Virtualities and prior to that, Citysearch San Francisco.

Forbes has promoted JOHN WEISGERBER, formally publisher of American heritage and Forbes custom media, to vice president, corporate sales. He is responsible for aggregating the seven divisions and business units of Forbes into integrated marketing packages for advertisers. Prior to joining Forbes, Weisgerber served as associate publisher, Yahoo! Internet Life Magazine. The company has also hired RANDI ZUCKERBERG in the newly created position of account executive, corporate integration. She joins Forbes from Ogilvy and Mather, where she was an account executive on OPEN: The Small Business Network by American Express.

New Line Television has promoted JON KROLL to executive vice president, hired SYDNEY LEVIN as vice president of alternative programming, and promoted JARET KELLER to manager of East Coast TV development. Additionally, the company has hired development executive ERIN CRISTALL as manager of alternative programming. Kroll joined New Line Television in 2003 and has overseen the UPN series “Amish in the City,” as well as the recently completed CBS series “A Nightmare on Elm Street:Real Nightmares.” In her new role, Levin will both develop shows and serve as supervising producer on select projects.

Cendant Corporation's Travel Distribution Services division (TDS) has named CRAIG COBLENZ regional vice president, partner marketing. Prior to joining Cendant, Coblenz spent two years at InterActiveCorp where his primary focus was on creating marketing programs across the automotive and communications industries.

JOHN G. GARETT has been named president of HealthStartSM, a new division of MediZine, Inc. Garett joins the company from Bates Healthworld Advertising, where he served as president of its Orion Marketing Alliance Division.

Channel One News has promoted KATHY GOODMAN to executive vice president, school operations, formerly senior vice president, school operations. Goodman joined Channel One News in 1995 following 11 years at Whittle Communications, where she served as director, service support.