NEWSMAKERS
Family Values Are Hallmark of TV Veteran’s New Post
Embracing the “halo effect” of the programming at the Hallmark Channel, Janice Arouh has signed on as vice president of network distribution and service.
Arouh, a 47-year-old Cleveland native, comes from Fox Cable Networks, where she was senior vice president of affiliate marketing. She was responsible for distribution, acquisition, retention, national accounts marketing and local advertising sales for 21 channels owned by News Corp., but decided she no longer wanted to sell channels that carried programming with references to sex, violence and drugs.
“I wanted to work on a channel that I believe in. We don’t think about the impact of our viewing habits,” she said. “There are no surprises from the Hallmark brand.”
In her new position, Arouh will oversee sales of the Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel, a 24-hour high-definition, video-on-demand service, both owned by Crown Media Holdings Inc.
Arouh believes Hallmark’s G-rated programming has a “halo-effect” that attracts viewers, advertisers and cable operators amid the current media decency issues.
A 1983 graduate of John Carroll University in Ohio, Arouh first sold ticket packages for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association. She moved to Los Angeles when the team’s owners started TEN-TV, a regional sports network, and offered her a job doing on-air sports statistics.
When the network folded, she worked at a couple of ad agencies before landing at Fox a decade ago. Arouh lives in Sherman Oaks with her husband and two children, and enjoys golf, tennis and reading.
Matt Myerhoff
Architecture
Steven Ehrlich Architects has added three new associates, Patricia Rhee, Aaron Torrence and Takashi Yanai, to its management team. Each has expertise in project administration, sustainable design and residential design.
Maria Martinico was hired as managing director, Orange County office, and vice president, Los Angeles office, and Phoebe Yee was promoted to vice president/senior associate at HKS Architects Inc. Previously, Martinico was an associate with Gensler Architects and Yee was an associate at HKS.
Automotive
Gardena-based Nissan North America has announced that Frederique Le Greves has been appointed vice president, corporate communications. She has held the same position for Nissan Europe. Also, Fred Standish, senior manager of corporate communications based in Farmington Hills, Mich., will become director of corporate affairs in the local office.
Banking & Finance
California Oaks State Bank named its chief executive, Cole W. Minnich, to the additional role of president. Minnich has been chief executive since September 2003 and was named to the bank’s board in January. Prior to California Oaks, he was president and chief executive of Hacienda Bank in Santa Maria.
Deutsche Bank Private Wealth Management has appointed Hal Harley managing director and head of its Los Angeles office. Harley was previously a senior director and regional manager with Mellon Private Wealth Management.
Bank of the West named Mark Glasky as senior vice president and manager of the Los Angeles Commercial Banking Center. Glasky was most recently senior vice president, credit product executive for Bank of America.
Consulting
Steve Appel rejoined Situation Management Group/NGC, a crisis management consulting group, as a principal. Appel was formerly director of business development for USBX Advisory Services in Santa Monica.
Carter & Burgess Inc. has elected Joseph L. Seibold as a principal. Seibold has served as vice president for the past seven years and also serves as national claims director and Los Angeles-Encino office manager. Carter & Burgess is a consulting firm specializing in engineering, architecture and related services.
Entertainment
MGM Pictures, a division of MGM Studios Inc., has promoted Bruce Markoe to executive vice president, feature post production. Markoe joined MGM in 1992 and most recently served as senior vice president, feature post production.
Another MGM Studios division, MGM Home Entertainment Group, has promoted Ron Sufrin to executive vice president of business and legal affairs. Sufrin joined MGM in 1999 as senior vice president of business and legal affairs.
Post-production firm Company 3 has hired visual effects editor and artist Rob Doolittle. In his previous position as applications specialist with Quantel, Doolittle collaborated with Company 3 on “Bad Boys II.”
Government
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Billie Greer director of his Los Angeles office. Greer was president and founding principal of Greer/Daily Inc., a public affairs firm focusing primarily on land use and environmental issues.
Health Care
WATTSHealth Foundation has appointed Curtis Owens president and chief executive. Owens is the former trade bureau director of Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow/Push Coalition.
Insurance
John A. Hamby was named entertainment and media practice leader for the Los Angeles office of Marsh, the risk and insurance services unit of Marsh & McLennan Cos. Previously, Hamby was senior vice president with Aon/Albert G. Ruben.
Law
Littler Mendelson, an employment and labor law firm, elected Brandie N. Charles and Craig G. Staub as shareholders. Charles is a trial attorney who works with both public and private employers. Staub represents employers in wrongful termination, harassment and discrimination cases.
Bradley & Gmelich Lawyers has promoted Frederick B. Hayes to partner as head of its appellate department. Hayes joined the firm in 2000.
A four-attorney team led by former Hogan & Hartson LLP partner Ray LaSoya has joined Pillsbury Winthrop LLP. Lasoya and Lino Lauro were named partner and Ryan Bates and Dan Palumbo were named associates. The group’s practice involves a range of corporate and commercial transactions, including mergers and acquisitions.
Marketing
Bear Enthusiast Marketing Group has named a new executive team following its recent rebranding. Bruce Bear is president and chief executive; Rick Hauser is senior vice president and account director; Dan Meyers is vice president and account director; and Susan Roush is vice president and account director of public relations.
Media
MatchNet PLC, a provider of online personals, has appointed David Siminoff to its board. Siminoff recently retired from Capital Research after 10 years of service.
Non-Profit
Gary K. Blasiar has been appointed chairman of Five Acres, a center for abused, neglected and at-risk children. Blasiar is founder and president of Alert Communications in South Pasadena.
Dennis Dixon was hired as community development finance advisor by the Los Angeles Local Development Corp., a community development organization. Previously, Dixon was senior consultant with Fuller Consulting.
Public Relations
Clifford Public Relations LLC hired Niki Ostin as account supervisor in the Los Angeles office. Most recently, Ostin served at Euro RSCG Magnet as manager.
Real Estate
PM Realty Group has promoted Terry Thompson to senior vice president of its Western division and John Sterling to vice president of construction services in Southern California. Thompson was previously vice president of the Western division and Sterling was vice president of construction services.
Restaurants
California Pizza Kitchen Inc. has promoted Susan M. Collyns to chief financial officer. Collyns joined CPK in 2001 as controller.
Retail
Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf has hired Lisa Wright as senior manager of marketing. Wright previously served with Baskin Robbins as marketing manager of brand expression.
Technology
James R. O’Neill was named president of Northrop Grumman Corp.’s information technology sector and a vice president of the parent corporation. O’Neill previously was president of the sector’s TASC business unit.
Researchers Craig Mello and Robert H. Brown Jr. have joined the scientific advisory board of CytRx Corp. Mello, a professor of molecular medicine and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, also joined the scientific advisory board of CytRx unit Araios Inc. Brown is founder and director of the Cecil B. Day Laboratory for Neuromuscular Research at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Unisyn Software named Gerald F. Ansel to the newly created position director of public relations. Ansel previously operated his own public relations consulting firm.
Xplor International, an electronic document systems association, has announced that Skip (Harold) Henk has been appointed president and chief executive. Henk most recently served as Xplor’s chairman and was manager, business analysis for Kodak Versamark.
