NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Bridgestone Americas (BSA) has promoted Dan MacDonald, the company’s current executive director of communications, to vice-president of community and corporate relations, effective May 1. MacDonald assumes the role previously held by Christine Karbowiak, who was promoted to the newly created position of chief administrative officer on April 1.

In his new position, MacDonald will be responsible for the flow of communications among Bridgestone Americas’ family of companies throughout the Americas and its internal and external publics. He will oversee BSA’s community and corporate relations function, including media, public, internal and community relations and social media outreach efforts, as well as driver safety initiatives, especially teen driver safety education.

“Dan has the skills, experience and the enthusiasm to help Bridgestone Americas continue to communicate effectively with its many audiences,” Karbowiak said. “He’s the right person to lead this department as we work with our new management team to develop communications efforts to support the company’s business and corporate social responsibility goals.”

Succeeding MacDonald as executive director of communications is Don Darden, who was most recently director of media relations for the company. His promotion also takes effect May 1.

Darden will be in charge of managing corporate communications to both internal and external audiences and will be responsible for ensuring that accurate information about the company is provided to the news media, company co-workers, dealers and the community in a clear and consistent manner, according to Bridgestone.

Also joining the community and corporate relations department are former Dye, Van Mol and Lawrence (DVL) account executive Elizabeth Lewis, who has joined the company as a public relations coordinator, and former Tennessean reporter Angela Patterson, who has been named the digital media coordinator.

Lewis will offer support in the company’s public relations efforts, environmental communications and will also assist with media relations and event coordination. Patterson will oversee the department’s social media efforts, and coordinate with other departments to launch social media strategies throughout the company. In addition, she will help coordinate content updates for the company’s Web sites and help lead the company’s teen driver safety education programs.