Advertising/Public Relations
Santa Monica-based Hamagami/Carroll & Associates has named Jim Berte head of the firm’s corporate communications division. He will be responsible for the creative development, management and design of annual reports, collateral systems and corporate identity programs. Prior to joining Hamagami/Carroll, Berte was creative director and co-partner of Point Zero Design and creative director and principal of Robert Miles Runyan & Associates.
Banking & Finance
Gregory Knopf has been promoted to senior vice president at Union Bank of California. He is the managing director for the bank’s mutual fund division based in Los Angeles. Prior to joining Union Bank, Knopf was a vice president at Kidder, Peabody in Los Angeles.
GMAC Commercial Mortgage has named Adele M. Pool as a vice president in its Pasadena office. She will be responsible for new loan production. Pool was vice president and credit officer for Tokai Bank of California’s real estate division prior to joining GMAC Commerical Mortgage.
Glendale Federal Bank has appointed Joan Hockenbary as vice president and bank manager of its San Pedro office. She served as bank manager, marketing services manager and loan officer in San Pedro with First Interstate Bank prior to joining Glendale Federal.
Brian J. Finneran has joined Security First Group, a Los Angeles-based annuity and investment services marketing organization, as senior vice president. Finneran will direct Security First Group’s bank division, including the company’s investment marketing program, direct relationship business and brokerage channel operations. He was president and chief operating officer of JMC Group before joining Security First Group.
David Crandon has been named vice president of the Los Angeles office of Management Science Associates Inc. He will be responsible for consulting services and solutions for the financial services industry including banks, insurance and mutual funds companies. Before joining MSA, Crandon worked with Treasury Services Corp.
Consulting
James Fischella has been named senior manager for Grant Thornton LLP’s management consulting practice. He is responsible for the design and implementation of communication systems across multiple industries in the firm’s enterprise-wide communication group.
Entertainment/Media
Robert Winston has joined KFWB News 98 as local sales manager. He was the national sales manger for KFI-AM/KOST-FM before joining KFWB.
Clark Woods has been promoted to senior vice president and assistant general sales manager for the domestic distribution division of Paramount Pictures’ Motion Picture Group in Hollywood. He will oversee sales for North America. Woods was vice president of Paramount’s western division prior to his promotion.
William A. Jones has been promoted to senior executive vice president of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. He will oversee corporate staff functions including risk management, labor relations, human resources and corporate affairs. Jones was in private practice and with Walt Disney Co. before joining MGM.
MGM has also named John P. Symes president of the newly formed MGM Worldwide Television Group. Symes will head the television organization and be responsible for international pay and free television operations including distribution, channel ownership, television co-production and co-financing. Symes was with Paramount Communications prior to joining MGM.
Legal
Buchalter, Nemer, Fields & Younger have named four partners in its Los Angeles office. William S. Brody has joined the insolvency group and specializes in creditors’ rights, debtor-in-possession financing, bankruptcy and commercial litigation. Abraham Colman has joined the litigation group with an emphasis on unfair competition, partnership disputes, breach of contract, copyright and trade secret issues. Also joining the litigation group is Amy L. Rubinfeld, who specializes in commercial and labor litigation and receiverships. Dean Stackel has joined the real estate and bank and finance practice groups. He specializes in complex loan, purchase and sale and leasing transactions.
James D. Prendergast has joined the Los Angeles office of the law firm of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP. He will be a member of the firm’s financial services and insolvency group. Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison also added Richard S. Odom to the business litigation group in its Los Angeles office. He was a partner with Howrey & Simon prior to joining Brobeck.
Personnel
Ann Sewill has been appointed director of the Enterprise Foundation’s Los Angeles office. Sewill was former assistant general manager of the Los Angeles City Housing Department. She will administer Enterprise Foundation’s programs including grants, loans and equity financing.
Real Estate
Watson Land Co. has named Kirk R. Johnson vice president of leasing and marketing. In addition, Lance P. Ryan has been named director of marketing for the Carson-based company and Craig T. Ersek has been named asset manager.
Heery International has named Alix Walsh O’Brien to head its Los Angeles design and program/construction management office. O’Brien will be responsible for the operations and marketing of Heery’s programming, design project management and construction management services in Southern California. She was with the architectural firm of Daniel, Mann, Johnson and Mendenhall prior to joining Heery.
The architecture, engineering and interior design firm of Leo A. Daly has appointed Philip L. Jaffarian director of operations for its Los Angeles office. He previously served as design architect for Daly. Jaffarian’s new responsibilities include overseeing design services for the new cathedral to be built in downtown Los Angeles.
Catellus Development Corp. has appointed Anthony J. Manos vice president of industrial development for the Southwest region. His responsibilities include development of industrial properties. Glen Allen, who formally held the position, has been appointed vice president of construction services. Manos, who will work out of the company’s Los Angeles office, will oversee construction of the company’s industrial buildings nationwide and pursue third-party development and construction management opportunities for Catellus.
Ronald E. Laime has joined Pasadena-based Parsons Corp. as vice president of construction. He will be responsible for overseeing all construction activities of the firm. Before joining Parsons, Laime was vice president and manager of construction for Bechtel Construction Inc.
Retail
American CinemaStores Inc. of Los Angeles has appointed Kathy Van Ness president and CEO. She most recently served as president of wholesale businesses of Authentic Fitness Corp., where she managed brands such as Speedo, Anne Cole and Catalina.
Tourism
Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel has promoted Marna Wollman to national sales manager and Sandra Lady to access manager. Wollman will be responsible for the association market and had been the hotel’s catering coordinator and conference manager. Lady will have responsibility for small groups, including weddings, tour and travel and international room bookings.
Transportation
Jerry Alestra has been named provisioning manager for the Los Angeles operations of Southwest Airlines. He was provisioning manager for Southwest Airlines in Seattle before joining the company’s Los Angeles operations.
Steven R. Ritchie has been named president of Los Angeles-based Mercury Air Cargo Inc. He was president and chief executive officer of Gateway Freight Services in Los Angeles prior to joining Mercury Air Cargo.
Robert B. Stephens has been named vice president of flight operations for Long Beach-based Polar Air Cargo. He will be responsible for all aspects of Polar’s flight operations division. Stephens was a captain with Atlas Air Inc. prior to joining Polar.
