NEWSMAKERS

Architecture

Andrew Beilfuss has joined the Pasadena office of HDR Architecture, a firm based in Omaha, Neb., as health care principal. Beilfuss was previously vice president and regional practice leader for the downtown L.A. office of design firm RTKL.

Wet Design, a Sun Valley-based water attraction company, has named Tali Krakowsky director of experience design. Krakowsky was previously director of experience design at Hollywood design company Imaginary Forces.

Banking & Finance

John Stephan has been named market president in the Los Angeles retail banking group of San Francisco-based Union Bank. Stephan was previously regional manager with the bank.

First Bank, headquartered in Creve Coeur, Mo., has promoted Jerry Ayvazyan to financial consultant in its Gardena office. Ayvazyan was previously financial service officer with the bank.

Engineering

PSI, an engineering firm based in Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., has promoted Wes Mekhael to construction services department manager in its Long Beach operations office. Mekhael was previously staff engineer with the firm.

Entertainment

Matt Mallon has been named vice president and general sales manager for KSPN-AM (710) in Los Angeles. Mallon was previously general sales manager for KABC-AM (790).

Dick Clark Productions, a Santa Monica TV production company, has hired Will Staeger as senior vice president of programming and strategic development. Staeger was previously executive producer for ESPN Entertainment.

Health Care

Howard Kahn has been named chairman of the California Association of Health Plans. Kahn is chief executive of L.A. Care Health Plan, a public health plan based in downtown Los Angeles.

Law

Bolender & Associates, a Torrance insurance law firm, has hired Elisabeth M. D’Agostino and Lucio O. Leon as associates. D’Agostino was previously an associate in the Rancho Palos Verdes office of Wilkes & McHugh P.A., a civil litigation firm based in Tampa, Fla. Leon was an associate at Jackson & Wallace LLP, a San Francisco law firm.

Century City law firm Rutter Hobbs & Davidoff Inc. has named Judy Man-Ling Lam a partner in its litigation practice group and C. John M. Melissinos a partner with a focus on bankruptcy and restructuring. Lam previously worked at Dreier Stein Kahan Browne Woods George LLP in Century City. Melissinos was at Andrews Kurth LLP in downtown Los Angeles.

Manufacturing

Occidental Petroleum Corp., a Westwood-based international oil and gas exploration and production company, has named Edward A. Lowe president of the company’s oil and gas international production. Lowe previously served as vice president of the company.

Marketing

Wendy Chou Le has been named director

of e-business strategy for WebMetro, a San Dimas interactive marketing agency.

Previously, Chou Le served as director of online retail operations at Home Direct Inc., a San Dimas-based online retailer of home furnishings.

Media

Robyn Walker has been named editor of the Journal of Business Communication, an industry journal published by the Nacogdoches, Texas-based Association of Business Communication. Walker is an assistant professor of clinical management communication at USC Marshall School of Business’ Center for Management Communication.

Non-Profit

Inner City Law Center, a downtown L.A. non-profit organization that provides legal representation and social service advocacy

to homeless and other poor clients, has appointed Janet Combs and Jenie Oh to its board. Combs is a senior attorney in Southern California Edison’s law department. Oh is senior counsel for the legal group of

Wells Fargo in the commercial credit

section.

Jane H. Gilbert has been named president of the ALS Association, a Calabasas Hills non-profit organization providing research and assistance for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Gilbert was previously senior vice president for chapter operations for the American Red Cross in Washington, D.C.

The Broad Center for the Management of School Systems, a Westwood non-profit education leadership training organization, has appointed Dan Katzir secretary and treasurer, and Barry Munitz vice chairman. Katzir is managing director of the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, which funds the center. Munitz is trustee professor of California State University, Los Angeles.

Damon Romine has been named director of communications at Screen Actors Guild on Miracle Mile. Romine previously served as director of entertainment media at the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.

Real Estate

Kathy Briscoe has been appointed chief investment officer in the downtown L.A. office of IDS Real Estate Group, a commercial real estate firm. Briscoe was previously executive vice president of Lowe Enterprises Investors LLC, a Brentwood real estate services group.

Technology

Symark International, an Agoura Hills information technology company, has hired Steve Kelley as executive vice president of corporate development. Kelley was previously senior director of product management at Websense, a security software company in San Diego.

KUDOS

John Wayne Cancer Institute at St. John’s Health Center of Santa Monica has honored actress Bonnie Hunt with the True Grit Humanitarian Award, and Donna and Harvey Rosen with the Duke Award for their fund-raising to support research, treatment and cures for cancer. Donna Rosen is a philanthropist supporting various L.A. charities. Harvey Rosen is partner in Pacific Equities Group Inc., a West L.A. real estate investment firm. The awards will be presented April 18 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.