Newsmakers—New Chief Oversees Reason Foundation

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As new chief executive of the Reason Foundation, David Nott wants to be at the forefront of the next intellectual movement.

The non-profit think tank focuses on marketplace issues relating to transportation, education and the environment. In addition, it publishes the monthly Reason magazine, with a paid circulation of 60,000.

“I’d like to make Reason magazine the head of the next intellectual movement, which is liberty and celebrating choice (in the tradition of) the New Republic and National Review,” said Nott, barely two hours after starting his new position in west Los Angeles. Nott replaces Lynn Scarlett, who in July was appointed to an assistant secretary position at the Interior Department.

When speaking of his responsibilities, Nott separates the foundation into two categories, the magazine side and the policy side. While plans for the policy side are less clear-cut, Nott said one of the foundation’s immediate goals is commercialization of air traffic control, as well as addressing a slew of other local problems.

“We try to solve small local problems, but if you do that long enough you’re going to see big solutions,” said Nott.

Though Nott emphasizes a one-step-at-a-time approach to public policy issues, he does stop to take the long-range view. “I’d like to see Reason become more of a policy player in some of the more immediate issues specific to Los Angeles entertainment, privacy, immigration and international trade,” he said.

An engineer by trade, Nott, 37, started his career with Shell Western Exploration and Production in Bakersfield. He left his position as a petroleum engineer in January 1994 and moved to Washington to join the Institute for Humane Studies. He has since served as president of two free-market institutions: the institute for Humane Studies and the Mercatus Center, both of which are located at George Mason University in Virginia.

Conor Dougherty


Accounting & Consulting

Mark E. Dauberman is a new partner at the Beverly Hills CPA/Business Consulting firm NSBN LLP. Responsible for driving the firm’s business development initiatives and for overseeing and coordinating training programs for the accounting staff, he was most recently the owner of Mark’s CPA Review.


Advertising & P.R.

Lewis Kay, Kevin Jackson and Jenny Faraldo have been promoted at Bragman Nyman Cafarelli, a public relations and marketing firm in Beverly Hills. Kay has been promoted to director of entertainment, personalities. He handles celebrity and sports talent such as Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, John Stamos, Adam Carolla and Donny Osmond. Jackson, who is now director of entertainment marketing and product placement, will negotiate marketing opportunities on behalf of BNC’s placement clients, in addition to identifying new avenues of business. Faraldo is director of television publicity. She will work to develop strategic publicity plans for the department’s network, syndicated and cable programs.

George S. McQuade III has been hired as the new media director at Cerrell Associates, a public affairs firm in Los Angeles. He will be responsible for team strategy, crisis communications and media training for Cerrell accounts ranging from government to high-tech industries. McQuade previously worked at MAYO Communications, managing government and high-tech accounts.


Architecture

David Keiser and Bernard Kummer have been elected associates at SmithGroup, an architecture, planning, interior architecture and engineering firm in Los Angeles. Keiser has been a senior medical planner with the firm since 1999. Kummer is currently completing the California Institute of Technology’s Broad Center for the Biological Sciences. He has also been with the firm since 1999.

O. Dean St. Clair has been promoted to associate vice president at Cannon Dworsky, an architectural, engineering and planning firm in Los Angeles. His current assignments include a 200,000-square-foot addition and renovation program for Texas Christian University, the Intercollegiate Athletics Building for UC Santa Barbara, a master plan for the Santa Clara International Swim Center and the Arena and Student Life Center at Belmont University in Nashville.


Banking & Finance

Sean Conley has been named senior vice president of commercial real estate at First Federal Bank of California in Encino. He is responsible for the operational management of commercial real estate lending activities, underwriting, marketing and relationship management for the bank. Prior to joining First Federal, Conley was a senior portfolio manager and vice president in the Southern California Real Estate Lending Division of California Federal Bank.


Entertainment

Robert Dubelko, Dirk W. van de Bunt and Courtney B. Conte have been named co-presidents at Carsey-Werner-Mandabach, an independent entertainment company in Studio City. Dubelko and van de Bunt will serve as co-presidents/chief operating officers. The pair will oversee the day-to-day business operation of CWM and Carsey-Werner Distribution, including all aspects of domestic and international syndication, business affairs, finance, administration, legal, human resources, operations and research. Dubelko joined the company in 1988 and most recently was executive vice president and chief financial officer. Van de Bunt has been with CWM since 1994 and previously was head of business and legal affairs. Conte has been named co-president and head of production. He will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of production for the company’s projects. He’s worked for CWM since 1994, most recently serving as executive vice president.


Health Care

Marc C. Ferrell is the new administrator of Bellflower Medical Center in Bellflower, a post he assumed after serving as chief executive of Bellwood General Hospital and Orange County Community Hospital.

Arthur J. Ochoa has joined Cedars-Sinai Medical Center’s department of community relations as director of planned giving. Ochoa practiced law at O’Melveny & Meyers LLP and Irell & Manella LLP, is a graduate of Yale Law School and oversaw donor and government relations for Youth Service America, a national non-profit organization in Washington, D.C. before attending law school.


Insurance

Teena Hostovich has joined Lockton Insurance Brokers Inc. in Los Angeles as a partner. She will be developing new business and responding to risk management needs of companies in a variety of industries. Prior to joining Lockton, Hostovich served as senior vice president at Marsh & McLennan where she managed and developed accounts.


Law

Robert E. Lutz has been installed as chair of the American Bar Association Section on International Law and Practice. He will be assisted by a Washington-based staff and will oversee the organization’s programs, publications, lobbying activities and policy development and provide legal assistance to the United Nations, other international and regional organizations and individual countries. Lutz is a member of the Southwestern University School of Law faculty.

Derek S. Whitefield, Patricia M. Coleman and Robert A. Latham III have joined the West Coast office of Feeney Kellett Wienner & Bush in Pasadena as partners. Whitefield, who specializes in defending product liability and other types of litigation, will be heading up the office. Coleman specializes in defending product liability, breach of warranty and general liability cases. Latham specializes in handling commercial, insurance and professional liability litigation.


New Media

Celeste Wood has been appointed executive director of business development at B3 Corp., an e-business solutions provider in Sherman Oaks. She will be responsible for leading the company’s business development initiatives. Wood was most recently vice president of strategic development at SimplyDone Business Solutions.


Real Estate

Brent Hogan has been named senior investment associate at Marcus & Millichap, a real estate investment brokerage in Los Angeles. He has been with the firm since 1994 and is a member of the national Multi Housing Group, which provides specialized services to apartment owners and investors nationally. Kevin King has also been named a senior investment associate, having been with the firm since 1995. He concentrates on multi-family properties in the Long Beach market. King, who is based in the Long Beach office, is currently a director with the firm’s national multi housing group, which provides specialized services to apartment owners and investors nationally.

Mike Russell has been named senior vice president of PacifiCenter, a development of Boeing Realty Corp. He is leading a team in the planning and development of the 260-acre mixed-use center, located on the site of the Boeing Co.’s former aircraft production facility in Long Beach. Russell most recently was vice president of Arden Realty Inc., where he was responsible for the planning and development of the Howard Hughes Center. George Medak has been named vice president of PacifiCenter and will assist Russell in directing the development team as well as managing master planning and community/government relations. Medak has spent the past 17 years working for the City of Long Beach in various capacities.


Services

Katie Smith has joined the Mobile Storage Group, a provider of storage containers, trailers and portable office units in La Crescenta, as director of government sales and marketing. She will focus on developing government procurement relationships, expanding market share and providing direction and support to the sales force. Most recently, she was vice president of sales and marketing for the No Touch division of Permatex, a manufacturer of automotive chemicals. Robert Ramirez has been appointed director of information technology at the company. Ramirez previously served as the director of system integration for Exel Direct, a global provider of supply chain solutions.

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