Newsmakers—Development Head Cultivating CalMart

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Jacki Riggs’ charge is to “get them into the building.”

As new director of retail development at the California Market Center, or CalMart, Riggs will be responsible for cultivating buyer attendance at the gift and home accessories mart, slated to open in July.

“My responsibility to the tenants is to bring them business,” said Riggs.

It’s a move that should calm fears at CalMart, where tenants have been anxious about new management a Dallas-based group representing the gift and home accessories market. The concern is that less money will be spent to promote the mart’s seven annual trade shows, which compete with shows in other cities, including Dallas.

Riggs is trying to be reassuring: “Any gift shop or stationary store any retailer with gift items and accessories are potential customers. That’s what I’m going after. Apparel is already here, and we’ll be expanding that over the next year or so.”

Riggs’ most recent position was as buyer relations manager at the nearby LA Mart. “I have a customer base (of gift retailers) that I’m familiar with,” she said.

Specific programs are still in the works, but she pointed to the upcoming California Gift Show, to be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, as a source for building partnerships. “It will be an inclusive package,” said Riggs. “Buyers who come to the gift show will be able to take advantage of the product here.”

A Cal State Fullerton graduate, Riggs worked as a reservations manager for South of the Border Enterprises, a U.S. sales, reservations and marketing firm serving hotels in Baja, before starting at the L.A. Mart. That short-term position eventually grew into a full-time job. In 1996 she started as a buyer relations representative and was promoted to buyer relations manager before moving on.

She lives in Whittier with her husband and son.

Conor Dougherty


Accounting & Consulting

Sharon Roberts has been appointed director of practice development at Singer Lewak Greenbaum & Goldstein LLP, a CPA and management consulting firm in Los Angeles, where she will develop new business opportunities. Prior to joining the firm, Roberts worked with Inland Empire National Bank.


Advertising & P.R.

Studio City, a broadcast marketing agency in Los Angeles, has promoted Jason Chappelle to senior writer/producer. He is responsible for promotions for comedy series clients as well as serving on the creative team for special products, drama series and reality programs. Chappelle has been with the firm since 2000, serving as a writer for several of the agency’s accounts, including “Spin City,” “Change of Heart” and “3rd Rock From the Sun.”

Caitlin Dowe-Sandes has been promoted to account director at Magnet Communications in Los Angeles. She will lead the company’s lifestyle practice group. Most recently, Dowe-Sandes served as an account director. Also, Niki Ostin has been promoted to account executive. She will be responsible for managing the day-to-day account activities in the lifestyle and entertainment arenas. Ostin joined the firm in November 2000 and previously served as an assistant account executive.

Alhambra-based Zyrex Inc., a marketing agency, has named Brian Iannessa director of publicity. He will be responsible for promoting the company and its clients through strategic public relations programs. Iannessa was formerly with Long Beach-based Aldrich & Associates.


Architecture

As part of a management reorganization, F+A Architects in Glendale has named Carrie Bircher, its executive vice president and chief financial officer, to the post of firm administrator and board member. She becomes a minority shareholder and will be overseeing its finances and supervising its administrative personnel. David Bircher has also been promoted at the firm. He is now director of store planning and retail systems as well as a board member and minority shareholder. The firm also promoted Robert Figueroa to associate and was named director of architecture. He serves as director of education facilities and will focus on ongoing quality control for documents and all aspects of production, team building for individual projects and advancing staff through new education programs. Finally, Robert Colavolpe has been promoted to senior associate and director of hotel and residential facilities.

Edmond Classen has been named an associate at Perkowitz + Ruth Architects in Long Beach. He serves as specifications writer and is responsible for the preparation of project manuals and specifications for many of the firm’s projects. Classen has been with the firm since 1988.


Engineering

Dale K.A. Lapointe has joined Gannett Fleming, a consulting engineering and construction management firm in Los Angeles as a senior project manager. He is responsible for capital project management and transit maintenance and operations facilities.


Entertainment

Fred T. Gallo has been promoted to president, feature production management worldwide, for the motion picture group of Paramount Pictures in Los Angeles. He will oversee the day-to-day aspects of physical production, production finance and estimating for Paramount’s feature films. Gallo was previously executive vice president, feature production management.

Hollywood Records, Los Angeles, has named Abby Konowitch senior vice president and general manager. He will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the company’s marketing, sales and promotion activities. Most recently, Konowitch served as executive vice president at MCA Records.

Kary McHoul and Jeff Shore have both been named vice president of development at E! Networks, leading the new program development division at the cable network. McHoul will concentrate on network’s relationships with the outside creative community for both E! and style, its new network. She was recently a vice president for alternative and late night development at Fox Broadcasting Corp. Shore will be responsible for E!’s internal program development activity. He joined the company in 1994 and has served as executive producer of the E! True Hollywood Story series since 1998. Also, Michelle Y. Levesque has been named vice president, international channels at E! Networks, responsible for the development of international E! branded channels around the world.


Health Care

Howard A. Kahn has been named chief executive of the L.A. Health Care Plan, a non-profit HMO in Los Angeles. He will oversee the HMO, which serves 700,000 people. Kahn is currently a senior executive with CIGNA and will begin his duties in December.


Insurance

The Torrance office of Dodge, Warren & Peters Insurance Services Inc. has added Debbie La Rue a vice president. She will be responsible for group benefits sales. Prior to Dodge, Warren & Peters La Rue worked in a management capacity at Blue Shield, Maxicare and Cigna.


Law

William I. Chertok has been named resident manager of Bryan Cave LLP’s Santa Monica office. He will maintain his litigation practice while serving as resident manager. Chertok joined the firm in 1992.

Mark A. McLean has joined the Los Angeles office of Fulbright & Jaworski LLP as a partner. He will head up the Los Angeles office’s labor and employment practice.


Media

Larry Davini, Richard Kaufman and Mimi Yattaw have been named sales managers at Media Distributors Inc., a supplier of videotape, film stock and recording media in Studio City. Davini is responsible for the development and marketing of new products in the data media category, Kaufman works with the company’s sales staff in the area of film product sales, and Yattaw is involved with the sales, marketing and distribution of the company’s videotape products.


Non-Profits

Rebecca Isaacs is the new managing director of the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center. She previously served as director of policy and public affairs at the center.


Real Estate

Commercial real estate information services company LoopNet Inc. has named Jason D. Greenman vice president, business development. He is responsible for managing, marketing and expanding the company’s business partnerships and alliances, including identifying and negotiating new business opportunities. Greenman was previously co-founder and senior vice president, business development, at Clareon Corp.

David A. Helfand has been promoted to executive vice president and chief investment officer at Equity Office Properties Trust in Los Angeles. He is responsible for overseeing new business development and mergers and acquisitions. Helfand was formerly executive vice president, business development. Peter H. Adams has also been promoted. He is now serving as executive vice president, strategic planning and operations. Adams is responsible for EOP’s portfolio in the Western United States as well as overseeing portfolio management, national real estate services and marketing functions. Adams was previously senior vice president, strategic planning.

Cherisse Rose has been selected as incoming president of the Southern California Development Forum in Santa Monica. She will lead a 300 plus member organization of professionals in real estate-related businesses. Rose is director of marketing at WWCOT, a Santa Monica-based architecture and interiors firm.


Software

Michael Wybo has been appointed vice president of product strategy at Fasturn, which writes software applications for the apparel industry. He is responsible for product strategy and design in addition to management of the product advisory group. Most recently, Wybo worked as vice president of education and quality assurance at an apparel supply chain software company.

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