Accounting
Charles Osaki was named to the education committee of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants. Osaki is a principal at RBZ LLP.
Apparel
True Religion Apparel Inc., a Los Angeles-based manufacturer of jeans, has named Joseph H. Coulombe, G. Louis Graziadio III, Robert L. Harris II and Mark Maron to the company’s board. Coulombe, the founder of Trader Joe’s, is a board member of Cost Plus World Markets. Graziadio is the president of Second Southern Corp. Harris is president of Acacia Research Corp. Maron is the managing director of investment banking in the Los Angeles office of Lehman Brothers Inc.
Banking
Los Angeles-based Hanmi Financial Corp., a holding company of Hanmi Bank, named Kurt M. Wegleitner chief credit officer. Wegleitner was previously in charge of the credit approval, loan documentation and loan compliance at DBS USA, the Los Angeles-based affiliate of DBS Bank of Singapore.
Christopher J. Warmuth was named president of City National Bank and also executive vice president of its holding company, City National Corp., based in Beverly Hills. Warmuth formerly served as the chief credit officer for the bank.
Consulting
Ross Selvidge joined the Los Angeles office of CB Richard Ellis Consulting, a commercial real estate firm. Ross was previously a senior vice president with Lee-Kosmont Advisory Services.
Government
Joseph M. Miller was appointed chairman and commissioner of the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board. Miller is principal of the law offices of Joseph M. Miller, a firm specializing in workers’ compensation for both applicants and defendants.
Health Care
Donald Dafoe was named director of the pancreas transplant program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Prior to joining Cedars-Sinai, Dafoe served as chief of transplantation surgery at the hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and at Stanford University Medical Center.
The California Endowment appointed Alonzo Louis Plough vice president of program, planning and evaluation. Plough is the director and health officer for the Seattle and King County Department of Public Health and also a professor of health services at the University of Washington’s School of Public Health & Community Medicine in Seattle.
Insurance
Suzanne Matheson was named vice president at Elkins/Jones Insurance Agency, a firm handling commercial insurance and high-end personal accounts in Los Angeles. Previously, Matheson was managing director at Tegner Miller.
Beecher Carlson, an insurance brokerage and risk management firm, named Mike LaRocca executive managing director at the new Los Angeles office. Prior to joining Beecher Carlson, LaRocca was regional executive officer at Willis North America.
Law
Grant P. Alexander joined Luce Forward Hamilton & Scripps LLP as an associate in the firm’s Los Angeles office. Alexander was an associate with Jackson Lewis LLP in Los Angeles.
Jeffer Mangels Butler & Marmaro LLP has named Melvin N.A. Avanzado as partner. Avanzado joins JMBM from the entertainment litigation boutique White O’Connor Curry & Avanzado LLP, where he was a founding partner.
Reed Smith LLP named Russell M. Frandsen partner in the firm’s corporate and securities office in Los Angeles. Frandsen was formerly working for the Los Angeles office of Squire Sanders & Dempsey.
Media
Danni’s Hard Drive, an adult entertainment media company, hired John Desjardins as affiliate marketing manager. Desjardins is the founder of ModelCash.com, a venture that develops and markets model sites.
Activision Inc. named Charles J. Huebner head of Worldwide Studios and Robin Kaminsky as head of global brand management. Huebner was formerly president and chief executive of Wizards of the Coast, an arm of Hasbro Inc. Kaminski was formerly vice president of national initiatives and customer marketing for Pepsi-Cola Co. Activision is a Santa Monica-based developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.
Non-Profit
Los Angeles-based Pacific Council on International Policy, an independent, non-profit international leadership, named Geoffrey Garrett president of the council. Garrett was previously vice provost and dean of international programs at UCLA.
Joe Ford was named to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Pasadena’s board. Ford is currently the Therapeutic Behavioral program director at Five Acres in Pasadena.
Edward A. Guerboian was elected chairman of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce. Guerboian was previously an executive board member and chairman-elect of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce.
The Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce named Daniel C. Walsh chief executive. Walsh was most recently vice president of sales, North America for United Airlines.
Technology
TrueCycle Inc., a California-authorized recycler of used electronic products such as computers, has named Larry Powers chief operating officer. Powers was founder and senior partner of Powers International, a business consulting firm headquartered in Los Angeles.
Transportation
Kurt Arend and James A. Davis were promoted to assistant chief harbor engineers and John Kostrencich was promoted to chief inspector at the Port of Los Angeles. Arend, head of the engineering division’s rights-of-way and permits section, was formerly a harbor engineer. Davis, head of the construction division’s contract administration section, was also formerly a harbor engineer. Kostrencich was formerly a principal inspector.
