NEWSMAKERS

Recording Industry Veteran Helps Singers

Jerry F. Sharell understands the plight of the struggling singer.

“Let’s just say I know what it’s like to make $11 a night singing at a wedding,” he said.

Sharell is the new president and chief executive of Society of Singers, a Los Angeles non-profit that provides scholarships and other types of financial assistance to aspiring singers. Funded in part by memberships, donations and ticket sales, the society also helps singers who have had illness or financial difficulties.

Society members include Pat Boone, Gloria Estefan, K.D. Lang and Barry Manilow. “I made some records and the experience provided me a grand understanding in what it takes for singers to stay alive and make it in this industry,” Sharell said.

Sharell, who began singing jazz professionally at age 14, was director of media relations for both Warner/Chappell Music and WEA Inc., and has held management positions at Westwood One and Asylum Records which merged with Elektra.

“I thought it was a good time to come in with some of my new ideas and projects,” he said. “A great number of these singers have nowhere to go and no one to support them,” Sharell added. “There is no union for singers.”

Anyone who has sung professionally as the primary source of their income over at least five years is eligible for subsidies covering food, housing, utilities and health care. “We are the first ever to do this kind of thing for singers,” Sharell said.

SOS, which was formed in 1984, also owns a 28-unit apartment building complex in Sherman Oaks where the organization offers subsidized housing for singers who may be living on fixed incomes due to age or disability.

“The biggest challenge we face as a non-profit is to have more people know about this organization,” he said. “We’re 18 years old and we have a good base in the music and entertainment world, but there are corporations out there that should know about us.”

Koula Gianulius

Architecture

NBBJ has hired Steven Ruef as a senior architect in the firm’s Los Angeles office, focused primarily on sports and entertainment projects. Ruef will be responsible for partnerships with clients, architects, general contractors and consultants.

Ware Malcomb, a Woodland Hills architectural and interior design firm, has named Ed Kimoto project manager in its interior architecture and design group. Prior to joining Ware Malcomb, Kimoto was with Stewart, Romberger and Associates.

NBBJ has hired Steven Ruef as a senior member of the firm’s Los Angeles office. Over the last 20 years, he has designed office buildings, hotels, resorts, aquariums, casinos, justice and law enforcement facilities, high school and community projects, and has worked on international projects.

Construction

KB Home, a homebuilding company in Los Angeles, hired Rodney Jackson as human resources director for its Southern California business units. He previously was director of organization effectiveness and human resources at Peregrine Systems Inc.

Consulting

First Consulting Group has announced the appointment of Michael Puntoriero as executive vice president of practice support and chief financial officer. He succeeds Walter McBride, who has become general manager of life sciences. Puntoriero will oversee FCG’s financial, practice support and administrative activities, including finance and accounting, mergers and acquisitions, investor relations, human resources, information technology and legal affairs. He will also become a member of the six-person executive committee. Puntoriero had been at Arthur Andersen LLP for 23 years.

Education

Southwestern University School of Law has appointed David C. Kohler as professor of law and director of the school’s National Entertainment and Media Law Institute. Kohler will join the law school in the spring of 2003 to coordinate the Institute’s services and activities and establish relationships with law firms and the entertainment industry. He also will teach and establish new law courses. Kohler is a former senior vice president and general counsel at CNN.

Kenyon Chan has been named vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college at Occidental College. Chan previously was dean of the Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts at Loyola Marymount University. Prior to becoming dean at LMU in 1998, Chan was founding chair of the Asian American Studies Department and director of the Liberal Studies Program at Cal State Northridge.

Entertainment

Scott Gregg has been promoted to senior vice president of sales operations for Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution. Based in the company’s Los Angeles headquarters, Gregg will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of sales administration. Gregg has been with the company since 1996, previously serving as vice president of sales operations.

Marsha King has been promoted to the newly created position of executive vice president and general manager at Warner Home Video. King most recently served as executive vice president of new business development, business affairs and administration, and will retain these responsibilities.

Fox Sports Net West has added Michael Eaves as an anchor and reporter on Southern California Sports Tonight, airing weeknights. Eaves joins Fox Sports Net from WLMT/WPTY-TV in Memphis where he was the sports anchor on the nightly newscasts for the ABC and UPN affiliates.

Steve Banfield has joined Sony Pictures Digital in the newly created post of senior vice president of technology. He will be responsible for infrastructure supporting digital entertainment businesses and developing technologies for consumer products and services. Banfield joins the company from Real Networks Inc. where he was vice president of strategic relations.

Health Care

Stephen M. Tullman was appointed chief executive of USC/Norris Cancer Hospital and USC University Hospital, a private, 293-bed research and teaching hospital staffed by faculty physicians of the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. Tullman formerly was chief executive of Century City Hospital and Midway Hospital Medical Center.

Insurance

CBIZ Benefits & Insurance Services Inc. of Los Angeles has named Dusty Farber president and Bill Flaherty senior vice president. Farber works on developing employee benefits programs for businesses and Flaherty specializes in employee benefits, group insurance and 401(k) plans.

Law

The Los Angeles office of Perkins Coie LLP announced the appointment of five new associates. David Q. McClure, Carlos M. Candeloro, May Y. Chan, M. Christopher Jhang and Melissa J. Goulet joined the international law firm in practice areas ranging from intellectual property to commercial litigation.

Greenberg Glusker, a Los-Angeles based business and entertainment law firm, named Barry Kellman and Laura Zwicker partners in the firm. Kellman practices in the firm’s labor and employment department, and Zwicker in the estate planning department.

Angela Robinson has joined the Los Angeles office of Pircher, Nichols & Meeks, a national real estate law firm. She will practice as an associate in the firm’s real estate department. Robinson previously was an associate for Cox, Castle and Nicholson LLP.

Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP has named two new partners in the firm’s Los Angeles office. Scott M. Pearson and Alan Z. Yudkowsky have been named partners in litigation. Pearson practices in complex commercial litigation and Yudkowsky in general and complex commercial litigation, with emphasis on energy, securities and commodities.

The Los Angeles office of Haight Brown & Bonesteel announced the elevation of senior associate Nancy E. Lucas to partner. Lucas focuses on the defense of legal malpractice and product liability claims.

Technology

ISpace, an information technology staffing and solutions firm, has appointed Carole Schlocker president of IT services of North America. Schlocker, who will be based in the firm’s El Segundo office, joins iSpace from D.P. Specialists where she was senior vice president.

Linda Muller has joined Accutrac Software Inc. as vice president, client services. Los Angeles-based Accutrac provides records management software and services. Muller previously was employed at Pitney Bowes Management Services as a records management consultant.

CaminoSoft Corp. of Westlake Village has appointed Stephen W. Crosson as chief executive. Crosson has been with the operating software company for 15 years in positions such as treasurer and chief financial officer.

Scott R. Saklad is the new chief operating officer of Computrition Inc. of Chatsworth, a software firm serving the hospitality industry. Saklad returns to the company after a sabbatical. He previously was Computrition’s general manager and chief information officer.

Overture Services Inc. has named Ken Ross chief communications officer. He will be responsible for overseeing public and investor relations and internal communications. Ross most recently served as vice president of corporate communications for consumer products maker Newell Rubbermaid.

E Team, an incident management software firm, announced the appointments of Dan Jenkins as vice president of business development and Lisa Smith Leight as vice president of marketing. Jenkins was most recently vice president of business development and sales operations at ACCESS360. Leight had been vice president for product management at BizBuyer.