NEWSMAKERS

Gearing up for its 2002 launch, iBlast, a Los Angeles-based data broadcast network, has named former EarthLink CFO Grayson Hoberg chief operating and chief financial officer.

IBlast’s service functions much like a broadband Internet service provider, only the company uses television stations to transmit content to subscribers via digital transmission towers. The company can beam data to PCs, TVs, set-top boxes, game consoles, personal video recorders and other receiving devices. The company has been in partnership with 258 stations.

“If you can get a TV signal you can get this,” said Hoberg, who is responsible for day-to-day operations, strategic direction and oversight.

Hoberg said the first service, set to launch early next year, will feature entertainment news. Subscribers will have the option to receive news, sports, music and entertainment content that will be sent directly to their PCs. In the future, Hoberg said the company plans to provide business-to-business, ethnic and children’s content, among other types of programming.

Hoberg said he left EarthLink on amicable terms. “We did the merger with Mindspring and during the merger it was appropriate that I move out,” he said. “It was very positive, for myself as well as the newly combined company.”

Hoberg doesn’t have the typical tech resume. The North Dakota-born rancher left for Norway upon graduating high school. Between 1977 and 1978 he studied music and wrote an opera. He returned to the United States and received his accounting degree from the University of North Dakota in 1983. Two years later he got his M.B.A. from the University of Denver. Hoberg worked for PriceWaterhouse (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) and Coors Brewery in addition to Excite@home before being named CFO of EarthLink in 1997.

Conor Dougherty

Advertising & P.R.

Paul Imhoff has been promoted to management supervisor at Saatchi & Saatchi, an advertising firm in Los Angeles. He has been an account supervisor for three years. Jodi Flicker and Kelly Saffrey also have been promoted to management supervisors at the firm.

Michelle Blaya has joined the Los Angeles office of Weber Shandwick Worldwide as an account supervisor. Also Michele Esbenshade, Ted Mills, Tracee Steinke and Scott Houston have been promoted. Esbenshade has been named account supervisor in the technology group. Previously she served as a senior executive. Mills, who previously served as a senior account executive, is now a director of media relations in the technology group. Steinke, also in the technology group, has been elevated from account executive to senior account executive. Finally, Houston is now serving as an account executive in the firm’s consumer group. Previously, he served as an associate account executive.

Architecture

Linda Bohlinger has been appointed officer-in-charge of the Southern California practice of HNTB Corp., an architecture, engineering and planning firm in Los Angeles. She will lead the firm’s Los Angeles office and direct the efforts of all the Southern California offices to develop the firm’s practice. Bohlinger previously held positions in California state and regional government, including 15 years with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority.

Alan Grant, Duncan Paterson and Brad McDonald have joined the Los Angeles office of Gensler, an architecture, design and planning firm. Both Grant and Paterson have been named architectural designers. Grant will be working on mixed-use developments for the firm’s architecture practice. Previously, he was an associate vice president and principal designer with the Jerde Partnership. Paterson will be focused on large-scale entertainment center design. Prior to joining Gensler, he was a senior associate and senior project designer with NBBJ Architecture. McDonald is serving as an architect and specializes in themed design and building and campus development. He was most recently with Walt Disney Imagineering.

Arts

Edgar Baitzel and Elizabeth Kennedy have been named to new positions at the Los Angeles Opera. Baitzel is now director of artistic operation. Kennedy is now director of administration. Most recently, the pair served as acting directors.

Banking & Finance

Jack W. Berka has been appointed head of the financial advisory services group at Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin, an international investment bank in Los Angeles. He will be responsible for coordinating the group’s activities on a national basis with major accounting firms, law firms, commercial and investment banks. Berka has served as a national director of Houlihan Lokey’s employee stock ownership plan practice since 1993.

Construction

Charles Roy and James Woodside have been named vice presidents and members of the board of Oltmans Construction Co. in Whittier. Roy directs the firm’s $40 million a year special projects department. Woodside oversees all project management for the company. Both served as directors before being promoted.

Education

Leslie Barnebey has been named principal of the Westmark School in Los Angeles. Barnebey worked within the Los Angeles Unified School District from 1970 to 1999, serving as a teacher, a resource specialist, staff development advisor and principal.

Entertainment

Pamela Parker has been promoted to vice president, business affairs and acquisitions for Columbia TriStar International Television’s International Networks Group. She will be responsible for identifying new properties for acquisition and co-production opportunities for CTIT’s channel operations overseas, in addition to overseeing business and legal affairs related to international networks’ programming and acquisitions. Most recently, Parker served as executive director, business affairs and acquisitions.

David Snapp has been named vice president, video design worldwide marketing & brand strategy for Crown Media Holdings Inc. in Los Angeles. He will be responsible for overseeing the worldwide video design group that will provide video design services to the Hallmark Channel regional offices in the U.K., Europe, Asia and Latin America, and the U.S. Prior to joining Crown Media, Snapp was director of the ABC video design Group.

Government

Kathy Parsons, Greg Davy and Sharon Diggs-Jackson have been appointed to communication positions for the City of Long Beach. Parsons has been named the city manager’s public information officer. She will be responsible for media relations for the city manager’s office as well as several other city departments. Davy has been named community development PIO. Finally, Jackson will be public affairs officer at the Long Beach Airport. She will be responsible for the noise abatement program, media relations, special events and the airport’s volunteer program.

Insurance

Stephen J. Murphy has been hired as underwriting manager at Frederick John Fisher Insurance Broker in Los Angeles. He will oversee the underwriting department in addition to being responsible for acquiring the necessary markets to support the firm’s business plan for continued growth in the professional liability area. Murphy was previously employed by a larger international brokerage firm.

Randolph Scott has been hired as a commercial lines underwriter at the Gorst Co., a personal and commercial insurance line broker in Glendale. Prior to Gorst, Scott worked at One Beacon Insurance, a property and casualty insurance lines unit.

Law

John Flynn has joined the Los Angeles office of Latham & Watkins as a partner. His practice focuses on commercial litigation in the areas of toxic tort, product liability and corporate governance and securities matters. Flynn was previously a partner in the Los Angeles office of Dewey Ballantine.

Non-Profits

Andrew A. Cazares has been named chief operating officer of the Los Angeles Educational Partnership, a non-profit organization that works to improve the quality of education in Southern California. He will be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the organization as well as oversee various program initiatives. Cazares was formerly director of research, policy and communications for LAEP.

David Silberg has been elected president of the board of the Jewish Free Loan Association in West Hills. He has served on the board since 1989 and will serve a one year term, replacing Linda Feinholz.

Pharmaceuticals

Joseph Papa has been appointed chief operating officer of Watson Pharmaceuticals in Corona. He will be responsible for the commercial operations side of Watson’s business, including sales and marketing, sales operations and distribution as well as overall manufacturing operations. Papa was most recently president and chief operating officer for DuPont Pharmaceuticals.

Professional Services

M. Brian Cotter has joined the Beverly Hills office of Morgan Samuels Co., an executive search firm, as a principal. He specializes in searching for talent in the technology, engineering, operations, business development and sales disciplines.

Retail

Frank Joens has been hired as director of marketing, gifts, for the L.A. Mart. He is charged with developing marketing programs and special events for the L.A. Mart, specifically with the gift buyer and showrooms in mind. Joens was most recently director of marketing for a gift manufacturer in the Los Angeles area. And Veronica Hamlett has been named director of leasing for special projects at the L.A. Mart. Previously, she was category manager and category sales manager for the California Gift Show.

Software

Kevin Fogarty has joined Accruent, a contract management software company in Santa Monica, as vice president of sales. Most recently, Fogarty served as vice president of sales for Corio Inc.

Sports

Terry Collins has been hired as the minor league field coordinator for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Collins spent the 2001 season as bullpen coach and eventually third base coach for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Technology

Gary Bishop has been appointed chief executive of the Patent & Exchange Inc., a provider of intellectual property valuation, marketing and monetization technology in Pasadena. Bishop previously served as president of SunGard Treasury Systems, an operating group of SunGard Data systems.

Tourism

Keiko Garrison has been promoted to director of consumer services at the Los Angeles Convention & Visitors Bureau. Garrison was most recently a director in charge of the bureau’s visitor centers in Hollywood and downtown Los Angeles.