NEWSMAKERS
Surfer Catches New Wave in Apparel Marketing Career
A reassessment of his glamorous life as a professional surfer drove Chris Burke, recently named marketing director of apparel brand Dickies Girl, to do missionary work in pursuit of a more spiritually fulfilling, less materialistic existence.
“I just got sick of the self-absorbed lifestyle of being a pro athlete me, me, my picture here, my endorsement there,” said the 39-year-old from Cayucos, near Big Sur. “I wanted to get a different perspective. It gave me contentment and took away some of the worldly desires.”
Burke quit the pro circuit in 1987 after five years and joined Youth With a Mission, a non-denominational Christian charity, where he worked for a year in emergency food, medicine and clothing distribution and Bible outreach in the slums of Manila in the Philippines.
Burke returned to the U.S., using his experience with the media and in marketing pro surfing to become team leader at Ocean Pacific Apparel Corp. in 1990.
In 1991, Burke partnered with Greg Arnette, founder of the eyeglass maker Oakley, in starting a new eyewear company, Arnette. After they sold the company to Bausch & Lomb in 1996, Burke took three years off as required by the non-competition terms of his buyout. He started his own line of sportswear, Von Zipper, which he then sold to apparel maker Billabong International Ltd.
In his new position, Burke will oversee advertising, public relations, retailer support, trade show activities and the company Web site for Apparel Ltd. Inc., the exclusive licensee of the Dickies Girl brand from Williamson-Dickies Manufacturing, which has been manufacturing work clothes and uniforms in the U.S. since 1922.
Burke is single. He lives in a downtown L.A. loft and still surfs a few times a week.
Matt Myerhoff
Accounting
David Rice has been promoted to chief operating officer and chief financial officer at Stonefield Josephson Inc. Rice most recently served as the firm’s administrator.
Tax Resolution Services Co. has named Brian Compton president and chief operating officer. Most recently, Compton served as senior vice president, chief financial officer and chief information officer.
Advertising
Inter/Media Advertising has promoted Jacqueline Mark Tidhar to senior vice president, direct response media director. Previously, Mark Tidhar was vice president.
Architecture
Brock Grayson has been promoted to Los Angeles regional director and Jon Zimmerman has been promoted to regional director, commercial architecture and technology at Ware Malcomb. Grayson most recently worked as regional director for the Irvine commercial architecture department. Zimmerman most recently was director, technology group.
Banking & Finance
Deutsche Bank Private Wealth Management has hired Jacques L. DeVore as managing director and wealth advisor. DeVore most recently served as president of J. L. DeVore & Associates.
Construction
Scott Miller has been named project manager for Fieldstone Communities Inc. in the greater Los Angeles region. Most recently, Miller was an offsite construction manager for Fieldstone in the Orange County metro division.
Consulting
G. Timothy Bauman has been named senior vice president of product and client development for SM & A.; Bauman most recently served as the senior practice director, state and local government for Oracle Consulting.
Energy
Unocal Corp. has named Joseph H. Bryant president and chief operating officer, effective Sept. 1. Previously, Bryant was president of BP Angola.
Entertainment
NBC Universal Television Distribution has hired Pauline Bohm as vice president, international marketing. Previously, Bohm worked as an entertainment marketing consultant.
Alan Cohen has joined Napster as chief marketing officer. Cohen most recently was a senior partner at Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide Inc.
MGM Music has hired Julia Michels as senior vice president of music. The company also promoted Sally Papacharalambous to vice president of music finance, Jane Holmes to director of music, creative, and Chad Greer to creative director of music catalog. Michels formerly served as vice president of soundtracks for EMI, Papacharalambous was director of music finance, Holmes was manager, music creative and Greer was manager, music catalog development. Angela Bradley has been promoted at MGM International Television Distribution to vice president, international pay-per-view and video-on-demand. Most recently, Bradley served as executive director of international pay per view and video on demand.
Health Care
The California Endowment has named Michael Januzik chief financial officer. The endowment also named Jesse Casso Jr. to its board. Januzik worked as a financial partner for Tatum Partners LLP and Casso is currently a private equity investor.
Martha Vincent has joined Agensys Inc. as vice president, clinical research and development. Vincent most recently served as vice president, medical affairs at Amgen.
Insurance
Brian S. Cohen has been promoted to senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Farmers Insurance Group. Previously, Cohen served as president of Farmers Financial Solutions LLC.
Law
Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP has hired J. Dean Heller as a partner in the real estate group. Heller was head of the real estate practice group at Morgan Lewis & Bockius.
Non-Profit
The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles has named Beryl Geber associate executive vice president in charge of policy development and Craig Prizant executive vice president, financial resource development. Geber previously was director of programs in nonprofit management at the University of Judaism and Prizant was senior vice president, financial resource development for the federation. Also, Carol Koransky has been named associate executive vice president of the Jewish Federation and executive director of the Jewish Federation Valley Alliance. Koransky was senior vice president, policy, planning, and community development at the federation.
Philip N. Feder has been appointed president and Helena Jubany has been elected member of the board for A Community of Friends. Feder is a partner at Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker LLP. Jubany is a principal at Jubany Architecture.
Douglas E. Buttrick has joined Optimist Youth Homes & Family Services as director of finance. Buttrick most recently worked as chief financial officer at AIDS Project Los Angeles. Silvio John Orlando, executive director of Optimist, has been named vice president/president-elect of the California Alliance of Child and Family Services.
The Partners in Care Foundation board has appointed Brett L. Hayes, John Mentzer, Steve Valentine and James J. Wehri as new members. Hayes is a partner at Holland & Knight LLP, Mentzer is vice president, operations at Centex Rodgers, Valentine is president of the Camden Group, and Wehri is president and chief operating officer of the PSI Group.
Kim McCleary La France has been appointed chairwoman and Tal C. Finney has been named member of the Hollywood Entertainment Museum’s board. La France currently serves as vice president for planning and community affairs at the Los Angeles Times and is president and chief executive of The Times Mirror Foundation. Finney is a partner at the law offices of Dongell Lawrence Finney LLP. Also, the museum has appointed Robert Serna as manager of volunteer services. Previously, Serna had his own business buying and selling Hollywood memorabilia.
Andrew Ratner has joined the board of JA Worldwide (formerly Junior Achievement) as chairman. Ratner works for Cushman & Wakefield as executive managing director.
Real Estate
Kevin Moen and Paul Goodman have been promoted to branch managers of the Rolling Hills Estates and Palos Verdes Estates offices, respectively, of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. Moen most recently worked as a senior sales associate in the Rolling Hills Estate office. Goodman worked as a sales associate at Coldwell Banker’s Santa Monica office.
Lee & Associates-L.A. North/Ventura Inc. has hired Robert Shafer as senior vice president and principal. Previously, Shafer was first vice president of CB Richard Ellis.
Warren DeHaan, Boyd Fellows, Chris Tokarski and Stewart Ward have joined Countrywide Commercial Real Estate Finance Inc. as executive vice presidents. DeHaan, Fellows, Tokarski and Ward worked as principals in Coastal Capital Partners LLC.
Retail
Guess? Inc. has named Karen Neuburger to its board. Neuburger is majority owner and president of Karen Neuburger Inc.
Tourism
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce has named Kaylee Kiecker the tourism and special events director. Kiecker formerly was the director of sales at the Universal City Walk Hard Rock Caf & #233;.
Transportation
Enterprise Rent-A-Car has promoted Brett Bittel to the head of its Southern California division. Bittel previously worked as senior vice president of rental operations.
