Sept. 11 brought Kimberly Godwin back to her roots. The newly hired vice president and news director for KNBC (Channel 4), Godwin was working in an NBC corporate job in Atlanta when terrorists struck the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Originally from Queens, N.Y., she was called to New York to assist in newsroom activities the weekend after the attacks.
“I was up there by Thursday night,” she said. “Three or four days into it I realized I belong in a newsroom.”
Godwin, a career journalist, had been overseeing the digitization process for the network’s 13 owned-and-operated stations, but after the attacks decided to apply for the Los Angeles job.
“(Journalism) is my passion and once it was reawakened it was tough to go back to analysis and reports,” she said.
Godwin is in the process of moving to Los Angeles and hopes to be settled in a few weeks. Meanwhile, she’s preparing to move back into the newsroom. “What viewers are expecting is different, that makes it a challenging time,” she said. “However, it’s rewarding because you’re needed it’s a great time to come back to the front lines.”
Godwin will be responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations of the station’s six daily and three weekend newscasts. She will also be involved in strategic planning for the station’s news division.
She received her undergraduate degree in journalism from Florida A & M; University and began her broadcast career in radio in Tallahassee. She became a newswriter for WTNT-AM before moving into television as an executive producer at WTXL-TV (ABC) in 1984. Since then she has held a number of positions in broadcast news, including anchor, reporter and producer. From 1998 to 2001 Godwin was the vice president/news director for KXAS, the NBC-owned station in Dallas/Fort Worth. She replaces Nancy Bauer Gonzales who left the post at the end of August.
Conor Dougherty
Accounting & Consulting
Sharon Roberts has been named director of practice development at Singer Lewak Greenbaum & Goldstein LLP, a regional CPA and management consulting firm in Los Angeles. She will concentrate on developing new business opportunities. Prior to joining the firm, Roberts worked with Inland Empire National Bank dealing with mid-sized corporate businesses in the Orange County region.
Advertising & P.R.
George S. McQuade has been hired as the new media director at Cerrell Associates Inc., a public affairs firm in Los Angeles. Previously, McQuade worked at MAYO Communications, managing government and high-tech accounts.
Chris Renner has been appointed executive president at Envision Sports and Entertainment, a strategic marketing company in Los Angeles. He will supervise all Los Angeles operations, as well as provide counsel for several international projects. Most recently, Renner was managing director of ISL Tennis. Envision has also named Jack Trompeter director of corporate sales. He is responsible for selling integrated sponsorship packages to Fortune 500 companies on behalf of the Los Angeles Kings and other Envision properties. Prior to joining the firm, Trompeter served as the vice president of sales and marketing for the XFL’s Chicago Enforcers, where he oversaw the team’s corporate sponsorship sales.
Architecture
Sylvia Botero has been named a principal and shareholder at RBB Architects Inc., an architecture, planning and interior firm in Los Angeles. In her 17 years with the firm, Botero has acted as associate principal and senior project manager.
Entertainment
Angela Bundrant has been named vice president of affiliate marketing at Columbia TriStar Television Distribution in Culver City. She oversees CTTD’s affiliate relations department, the primary marketing contact for all CTTD station partners as well as the main liaison between the stations, marketing directors and sales department. Bundrant previously served as director of affiliate relations. Colyn C. Scott has been promoted to director of multimedia marketing. Scott, who most recently served as manager of research options, will now oversee day-to-day operations of CTTD’s suite of business to business sites in addition to researching and evaluating new media to see how it can best be implemented into CTTD business and marketing operations. The company has also hired Gregory Calvosa as director of marketing. He directs the marketing campaigns for the off-network syndicated programs “Dawson’s Creek,” “The Steve Harvey Show” and “Malcom & Eddie,” in addition to being part of the marketing team responsible for creating campaigns for the off-network series “Just Shoot Me,” “The King of Queens” and “Seinfeld.” Mike Freeman, also was hired as director of marketing, is responsible for directing all marketing activities for the syndicated series “Ricki Lake” and “Judge Hatchett.” Also new to the company is Peter Soikkeli, who has been hired as vice president, creative director. He is responsible for supervising all aspects of trade and consumer print and related advertising for CTTD’s first-run and off-network programming as well as for motion picture packages. He will also spearhead his division’s efforts in creating and producing in-house advertising campaigns and strategies.
Steve Simpson has been promoted to vice president/general manager of Fox Sports Net (West) and Fox Sports Net (West) 2 in Los Angeles. He will oversee all aspects of the regional sports business as well as work with other Fox entities involved with Fox Sports Net. Most recently, Simpson served as local sales manager for FSN and FSN 2.
Todd Slater has been appointed director of marketing and public relations at Crusader Entertainment in Los Angeles. He will be responsible for driving strategic alliances, serving as the primary liaison with Crusader’s business associates and directing the company’s press and media relations initiatives. Slater most recently assisted the president of domestic television at Paramount Pictures, acting as the key liaison with network and cable executives, talent agents, television and radio performers, writers and the media.
Health Care
Adam Singer has been named chairman of the board of IPC The Hospitalist Company in North Hollywood. Singer is the company’s chief executive, a post he will continue to hold.
Law
Douglas L. Carden has been named partner-in-charge of the Los Angeles office of Foley & Lardner. He will manage operations for the Los Angeles office and work closely with the firm’s department chairs and management committee to help define and advance the firm’s national goals in the local market.
Media
Michael Butler has been promoted to vice president, sales, at Media Distributors, a supplier of videotape, film stock and recording media to the entertainment industry. Based in Studio City, he will oversee all sales efforts in the areas of film, videotape, audiotape and data media to the company’s clients. Butler has been with Media Distributors since 1998 and most recently served as regional sales manager, videotape products.
Jim Kaplan has been named classified advertising director of the LA and OC weekly. He is responsible for developing new revenue streams, new categories of advertising and reinvigorating the personals section of the Weekly, in addition to overseeing all aspects of the classified advertising department including matchers, the personal ad section. Most recently, Kaplan was classified advertising director at the Metro in San Jose.
New Media
Steve Bernstein has been named general manager of the enterprise division at Applied Semantics Inc., a tools and applications provider for information management and retrieval. Most recently, Bernstein served as vice president of product marketing for Inxight, where he helped reposition the company into the enterprise space and oversaw the launch of enterprise-focused tools and applications.
Robert S. Mahl has been named vice president of fulfillment services for International FiberCom Inc., a communications solutions provider in Calabasas. He is responsible for broadband telecommunication contracts and operations. Mahl previously served as regional manager of business development for Viasource Communications.
Lisa Morita and David Karnstedt have been named to senior level positions at GoTo.com Inc. in Pasadena. Morita serves as senior vice president and general manager of GoTo’s online business and marketing. She is responsible for managing the company’s online business. Prior to joining the company, Morita was senior vice president of marketing at eMind. Karnstedt serves as senior vice president and general manager of the company’s direct business. He is responsible for leading the company’s direction for medium and larger advertisers including product, sales, account management as well as developing strategic alliances. Most recently, Karnstedt served as vice president and general manger of AltaVista’s Internet search group.
Non-Profits
Peter J. Taylor has been named president-elect of the UCLA Foundation, a nonprofit corporation that receives and invests private gifts to the university. Taylor, who will take his post in July of next year, has served on the Foundation’s investment and external relations committees during the past year.
Politics
Vincent Roncone has been named director of communications and development for the Los Angeles County Democratic Party. He will be developing and delivering the local Democratic party’s message in preparation for the 2002 elections. Most recently, Roncone served in the editorial department of the Hollywood Reporter.
Real Estate
Russell Dixon has been hired as national director of the multi-housing properties group at Insignia/ESG in Los Angeles. He will oversee all multi-housing sales and financing activities of Insignia/ESG across the country, recruiting additional professionals developing new business. Dixon had been national managing director, institutional services/multi-housing properties group for CB Richard Ellis.
Harry Topping and Alice Wilson have been appointed as co-chairs of the Southern California Chapter of the International Development Research Council, a professional organization for corporate real estate executives. Topping is a senior vice president and director of corporate real estate for City National Bank. Wilson is vice president of DMJMH+N, an international architectural, design, consulting engineering and construction company.
