Banking & Finance

Hanmi Financial Corp., the holding company of Hanmi Bank, has named Mark K. Mason to its board of directors. Mason was previously the senior manager in the Los Angeles office of Deloitte & Touche.

Construction


Daniel M. Edwards has joined Matt Construction, a commercial and large complex builder, as vice president of strategic marketing. Edwards was previously director of strategic planning and development for the marine and leisure business for marine and leisure division of ITT Industries.

Consulting


Frasco Investigative Services, an investigation corporation for insurance carriers, municipalities and legal counsel, has promoted Jason Simmers to vice president of Southern California and Arizona operations. Simmers was formerly regional manager with the company.

Cody Slach has joined ICCS Partners, a business development consulting, operational restructuring, and marketing company, as an associate. Slach was previously an analyst in the corporate finance department of TRC Solutions, an engineering consulting and construction management firm.

Education


UCLA Anderson School of Management has named Adam Michaelson a guest marketing lecturer for the 2007 spring semester in the Executive M.B.A. Program. Michaelson is president of Michaelson Group, a marketing and advertising consultancy.

Entertainment


Douglas Lyon has been hired as executive director of the Academy of Magical Arts Inc., based at the Magic Castle in Hollywood. Lyon was formerly chief executive of Lyon Group, an entertainment marketing company in Agoura Hills.

Porchlight Entertainment, a producer and distributor of family entertainment, has appointed Jeff Gonzalez as chief financial officer. Gonzalez was most recently principal at Shorelight Partners Inc., a financing specialist with primarily entertainment company clientele.

Terri Melkonian has been promoted to vice president of sales, marketing, and corporate communications at Sunset Gower Studios, a filmmaking stage facility in Hollywood. Melkonian was formerly vice president of sales and marketing at the studio.

ReelzChannel, a cable and satellite TV network and broadband Web site dedicated to movies, has named Roger Eman as chief technology officer and senior vice president of IT. Eman was previously executive director of new technologies at Sony Pictures, a motion picture producer and distributor.

Government


The Los Angeles County Commission on Insurance has re-elected Scott J. Svonkin as chairman. Svonkin is president of Svonkin Consulting, a marketing and public affairs firm based in San Gabriel.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has appointed Christopher Giza of Culver City and Timothy Noonan of Beverly Hills to the State Athletic Commission. Also, Andrew Signey of Long Beach was named as assistant secretary of program and fiscal affairs for the Health and Human Services Agency. Giza is currently an assistant professor at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine. Noonan is president and chief executive of Lockton Insurance Brokers Inc. Signey is executive director of the Center for AIDS Research, Education and Services in Sacramento.

Human Resources


Tricia LaMarca has been promoted to general manager for the Los Angeles office of Personnel Decisions International, a human resources consulting firm. LaMarca was most recently an account executive with the company.

Law


Carroll Burdick & McDonough LLP, a business law firm, has hired Angela Reddock as a partner in the firm’s employment litigation and counseling group and Michael Sweeney as an associate in the firm’s products liability group. Reddock was most recently a founding and managing partner at Reddock Law Group in Los Angeles. Sweeney was previously an associate at Bowman and Brooke LLP.

Marc L. Benezra has joined Reish Luftman Reicher & Cohen as a partner, head of the real estate department and member of the executive committee. Benezra was formerly a partner at Weissmann Wolff Bergman Coleman Grodin & Evall in Beverly Hills.

Proskauer Rose LLP has named Ronald Wood as senior counsel in its Los Angeles law office. Wood was previously a principal at litigation boutique Wood Group.

Mary Carter Andrues has been hired as a partner at Howrey LLP in Los Angeles. Andrues most recently was the chief of public corruption and civil rights section, criminal division in the United States Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, Los Angeles.

K & L Gates, a law firm with offices in Los Angeles, has named Stephen Farkas as an associate in its toxic tort group. Farkas was formerly an associate at law firm Walsworth Franklin Bevlins & McCall in Orange.

Marketing


Wilkin Guge Marketing has hired Audrey Cabrales as brand research specialist and promoted Shannon Carlson as media director. Cabrales was most recently financial and marketing analyst at Bull BBQ. Carlson was formerly media strategist at Wilkin Guge.

Media


Horizon Media, a media services agency, has promoted Tracy Wong, Marin Katacic, and Cherie Brussell to vice presidents in its Los Angeles office. Wong, Katacic and Brussell were most recently brand group directors with the agency.

Non-Profit


Francisco Uribe has been named chairman of the Valley Economic Development Center, a non-profit business development corporation. Uribe is currently director of government and external affairs for Verizon, a retail communications company.

Variety Boys and Girls Club, a non-profit youth center in Boyle Heights, has promoted Robie Aguila as executive director. Aguila was previously director of operations at the club.

Rand Corp., a non-profit, non-partisan research organization, has named Lydia H. Kennard as a member of its board. Kennard was most recently executive director of Los Angeles World Airports.

Jeffrey M. Johnson, the operating partner of Yucaipa Cos. and the former publisher of the Los Angeles Times, has been named chairman of the United Way of Greater Los Angeles. He replaces Gregory R. Stubblefield, president of Enterprise Rent-A-Car for California and Hawaii.

Real Estate


Mark A. Smith has joined Staubach in Los Angeles as principal-in-charge. Smith was most recently Southern California project management practice leader for CB Richard Ellis, a commercial real estate services company.

Conning Chu