Comcast has named Saif Malik as vice president of finance for the company’s Western New England region, which serves more than 300 communities across Connecticut, western Massachusetts, Vermont, western New Hampshire and New York. In this role, Malik will oversee finance and accounting; warehouse and materials; information technology; facilities; fleet management; and environmental health and safety.

Travis Thomason, director for the Pacific Islands Area at the US Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service, has been named state conservationist for NRCS-Vermont. He succeeds Vicky Drew, who retired last July after nearly 38 years of service.

In his new position, Thomason, who has been with NRCS since 2005, will oversee more than 70 federal soil conservationists, engineers and program administrators in 11 offices throughout the state.