NEWSMAKERS
Mixed-Use Projects Lure Developer From the Mountains
Paul Heiss, just back after a year spent mountain climbing and getting his pilot’s license, has taken over as director of retail development for Champion Development Group.
Heiss spent the better part of seven years, from 1992 to 1999, directing the development, acquisition, leasing and renovation of Madison Marquette’s West Coast projects before setting out on his own as a consultant to developers in the Southwest.
“Almost all of the projects I was working on ended around the same time, so it was the perfect time to do the kind of thing that takes a lot of time,” Heiss said.
But after a year in the mountains, which took him up Mt. Rainier in Washington State and Mt. Whitney in California, the Spanish Pyrenees and the Dolomites in Italy, Heiss said it was time to get back to work.
“From day one I wanted to be a developer,” said Heiss, who has a master’s in architecture from MIT. “I love to create places that people like and that are financially successful.”
At Champion, he’ll oversee a project in San Diego and the Pasadena Collection, a $50 million, 150,000-square-foot development set to open at the end of the year.
Heiss was drawn to work for Champion because he admired its mixed-use One Westside and Brentwood Place projects. “I love projects like those that are attractive architecturally, create an urban atmosphere,” he said.
The Pasadena Collection consists of 80,000 square feet of residential space and an adjacent building with 53,000 square feet of office and 17,000 square feet of retail space.
Heiss, a single 40-year-old Colorado native, moved to Southern California 15 years ago and lives in West Los Angeles.
Matt Myerhoff
Advertising & Public Relations
Potter Katz Postal & Ferguson has promoted Lori Jacobus to vice president. Jacobus, who has worked at the firm for less than a year, previously was account supervisor with the Sachs Group in Los Angeles.
Automotive
Nissan North America Inc. has appointed Simon Sproule vice president, corporate communications. Prior to joining Nissan, Sproule worked for Ford, Aston Martin, Jaguar and Land Rover in the U.S. and Europe.
Banking
Robyn Orloff has been named vice president of recruiting services of United Pacific Mortgage, a retail mortgage banker. Previously, Orloff was president and founder of Elicit Executive Search.
Consulting
James Clary, president of Mullin Consulting, has added the titles of chief executive officer of the company. Peter Mullin, founder of the benefits consulting firm, will remain chairman of the company. Clary has been president of the company since 2001.
Entertainment
Marianne Marck has been named vice president of engineering for Walt Disney Internet Group, where she will manage the organization’s engineering teams and oversee Internet systems architecture and major engineering projects. Previously, Marck worked at CNET Networks as senior vice president, technology infrastructure.
Evolution Management, a management and independent production company, has hired Chris Zarpas as manager and producer. Zarpas had been a producer with East Coast television studio New Dominion Pictures and is a former co-president and chief executive of Scott Free Productions.
Mosaic Music Publishing has hired John Baldi as creative director. Prior to joining Mosaic, Baldi was a partner in the Los Angeles-based music marketing firm Natural Energy Lab.
Health Care
Blood products and services supplier HemaCare Corp. has appointed Andrew L. Heaton and Terry Van Der Tuuk to its board. Heaton is vice president of regulatory/scientific affairs and chief medical officer of Chiron’s blood testing division, and Van Der Tuuk is vice chairman of Graphic Technology, a barcode label company.
Robert Nagourney, an oncologist, has been named medical director of the Malcolm C. Todd Cancer Institute at the Long Beach Memorial Medical Center and Miller Children’s Hospital.
Eileen Escamilla has been named director of admissions for VITAS Healthcare Corp.’s Torrance hospice. Previously, Escamilla worked for Home Americair of California, a medical equipment provider.
Hospitality
Jim Hicks has been named director of training and development for El Pollo Loco. Hicks most recently worked with Prandium Inc.’s Koo Koo Roo, Chi-Chi’s and Hamburger Hamlet divisions.
Regynald G. Washington, vice president and general manager for Disney Regional Entertainment, has been named chairman of the National Restaurant Association. Washington heads the ESPN Zone sports dining and entertainment chain.
Paul Birchall has been appointed general manager of the Luxe Hotel Rodeo Drive and Luxe Summit Hotel Bel-Air. Prior to joining Luxe, Birchall worked at the Kor Hotel Group, most recently as general manager of the Avalon Hotel in Beverly Hills.
Law
Greenberg Traurig LLP has made Louis J. Bovasso a shareholder in the intellectual property practice in its Los Angeles office. Previously, Bovasso worked with Oppenheimer Wolfe & Donnelly LLP in Los Angeles.
Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP has made D. Matthew Richardson a partner in the tax, employee benefits, trusts and estates practice group in Los Angeles.
Donald J. Dunn has been appointed dean of the University of La Verne’s College of Law. Previously, Dunn was dean of the Western New England College School of Law in Springfield, Mass. and associate dean for library and information resources.
Pachulski Stang Ziehl Young Jones & Weintraub has made Malhar Pagay and Hamid Rafatjoo shareholders. Both are in the Los Angeles office.
Non-Profit
Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services has named Bradley R. Tabach-Bank chairman. Tabach-Bank is an attorney at Reish Luftman McDaniel & Reicher.
Real Estate
Secured Capital Corp. in Los Angeles has hired G. Ryan Smith, Stephen M. Somer and Stuart J. Turner. Formerly of Cushman and Wakefield, Smith and Somer were named vice presidents and will be involved with investment property sales. Turner, previously with Hilton Hotels, was named associate in the hotel division.
Kent S. Handleman has been hired as managing director of leasing at Thomas Properties Group, where he will handle the leasing at Arco Plaza. Handleman comes from Insignia/ESG.
Grubb & Ellis Co. has promoted Jim Kruse to executive vice president and area manager of the Western region, where he will be responsible for the West Los Angeles, Los Angeles North, South Bay and downtown Los Angeles offices. Before joining Grubb & Ellis in 1997, Kruse was a partner with Schneider Commercial Real Estate.
Rick Jones has been promoted to senior vice president of asset management for McCarthy Cook & Co., where he will oversee the management teams for all McCarthy properties. Previously, Jones was vice president of operations, Southern California/Arizona, for PM Realty Group.
Homestore Inc. has announced that Paul Unruh has been appointed to its board of directors, increasing the number of independent directors to six and total members to eight. Unruh has became a member of the audit committee. Unruh retired in 2002 as vice chairman of Bechtel Group Inc.
Sonnenblick-Eichner Co. has announced that Mike Garrido has joined the firm as an Associate Director. Based in its Los Angeles office, Garrido will work in debt origination and equity transactions on behalf single tenant, triple net leased properties. He was previously a founding partner of Blue Ridge Properties, an advisory firm specializing in single tenant transactions.
Technology
InfoPro Solutions has appointed Michael Radin director of Clinicopia Products, where he will oversee the entire products division. Prior to joining InfoPro Solutions, Radin was senior vice president at SunGard Treasury Systems.
Accutrac Software Inc., a provider of records automation, has named Karin Borecki Eastern region project manager.
Simulations Plus Inc., a provider of software for pharmaceutical discovery, has appointed Jeffrey A. Dahlen vice president of research and development of its Words+ Inc. subsidiary. Dahlen left the firm five years ago to found iAT, a Pasadena software consulting firm.
Wendy Peoples has been named vice president of sales at Intersperse Inc., a Pasadena business software company.
UNOVA Inc., a supplier of automated data collection, has named Cathy D. Younger vice president and secretary. Younger is also senior transactions counsel, director of corporate ethics and compliance and president of the UNOVA Foundation.
