NEWSMAKERS
Banking & Finance
Phil Wexelbaum has joined Deutsche Bank’s Los Angeles office as regional executive for private client services. Wexelbaum was formerly executive director and branch manager at Oppenheimer & Co.
Mellon 1st Business Bank has hired Paul Branks as senior vice president and group manager in its downtown Los Angeles office. Branks was recently senior vice president at City National Bank.
Government
The Los Angeles City Planning Department has named Kenneth Bernstein director of historic resources. Bernstein currently serves as the director of preservation issues for the Los Angeles Conservancy.
Health Care
The Coding Source LLC, a Los Angeles-based provider of medical coding programs, has named Jay Goldberg chief financial officer. Prior to joining the company, Goldberg was director of corporate development for Leiner Health Products.
City of Hope, a research and treatment center for life-threatening ailments, has appointed Ken Mintzer vice president of development for Los Angeles and Orange County-based national and regional fundraising programs. Mintzer was recently director of the Jewish National Fund’s Greater Los Angeles Zone.
Hospitality
Dan Piotrowski has been promoted to general manager of Omni Los Angeles Hotel. Piotrowski was previously director of operations for the hotel.
Insurance
QualCorp Inc., a Valencia-based provider of insurance software, has hired Larry Kilgore and Mark Rooney as senior programming engineers. Kilgore was previously a programmer at AMS insurance; Rooney was a programmer with Motion Picture Industry K-force.
Law
Greenberg Traurig LLP has appointed Eric Rowen as chair of the firm’s Western region real estate litigation practice. Rowen was previously vice chairman of Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker LLP’s real estate litigation division.
Marketing
News America Marketing, a division of News Corp., has named Steve Ross executive vice president of entertainment and specialty marketing. Ross was previously senior vice president of worldwide entertainment and business development at Mattel.
Wongdoody, an independent marketing agency, has hired Chris Ribeiro as creative director for the company’s Los Angeles office. Ribeiro was formerly in a leading creative position at Secret Weapon Marketing/LA.
Media
Fox Cable Networks has made the following promotions within the affiliate sales and marketing department: Lindsay Gardner to president, Michael Hopkins to executive vice president, and Michael Biard to senior vice president. Gardner recently served as executive vice president of the division; Hopkins was formerly senior vice president; and Biard was previously vice president of national accounts.
ImpreMedia, a publisher of Spanish language newspapers, has named Fabrizio Danova senior national category manager of La Opini & #243;n in Los Angeles. Danova was previously regional advertising manager at Gannett’s USA Weekend magazine division.
KCET, L.A.’s public television station, has appointed Bernie Roscetti to manager of broadcasting. Roscetti was previously vice president for television and education at the University of Maine.
Non-Profit
Kidsave, a volunteer organization that places children from orphanages and foster care into permanent homes, has added Kathrin Wanner to its board. Wanner is currently partner at Manatt Phelps & Phillips LLP in Los Angeles.
The Valley Economic Development Center, a San Fernando Valley-based corporation that offers services to small- and medium-sized businesses, has named Warren Cooley director of retail and economic development and Jenni Kwon director of the entrepreneurship center. Cooley was the project director for the VEDC’s downtown L.A. retail project; Kwon was formerly director of workforce and economic development.
Real Estate
Amcal Multi-Housing, an Agoura Hills-based developer of affordable housing, has hired Susan Parola as accounting manager, Dayna Ranger as manager of sales and marketing for sale housing and Paul Winley as senior construction manager. Parola was previously accounting manager at Parking Structure Builders Inc. in Westlake Village. Ranger was sales coordinator at Lennar Corp.’s Northern Colorado division. Winley was director of operations at Coury Enterprises Contractors.
Fifield Realty Co. has named Michelle C. Marsh the vice president of sales and marketing of the Los Angeles office. Marsh recently served as vice president of sales and marketing at the company’s Chicago office.
Westfield, a retail property group, has appointed Sharon Coggin as marketing director and Kathryn Brown as specialty leasing manager at Westfield West Covina. Coggin was previously marketing manager at the Los Angeles Zoo. Brown was the former marketing director for Westfield West Covina.
Dain Fedora has been promoted to research manager of Grubb & Ellis Co.’s Inland Empire region, covering Ontario, Riverside and San Gabriel Valley. Fedora was formerly senior research analyst for the company.
Trammell Crow Co., a commercial real estate firm, has named three executive vice presidents: Henry Johnson, Mike Scimo, and Phil Lombardo. Johnson currently co-leads a global portfolio advisory team and is managing director of the company’s operating committee; Scimo and Lombardo are principals with the company.
Retail
Torrance-based King’s Hawaiian, a maker of Hawaiian sweet bread and dinner rolls, has appointed Stanley Shaffer as vice president of operations. Shaffer recently served as vice president of manufacturing at Fresh Start Bakeries.
Technology
Peter Dille has been named senior vice president of marketing of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. Dille was recently senior vice president of worldwide marketing for THQ, a global software publisher.
Technicolor Network Services, a provider of media, network, and management services, has appointed Doug Jackson to executive director of network operations of the company’s Burbank office. Jackson was previously an interim general manager of the Technicolor Disney Japan broadcast center.
KUDOS
The Southern California Chapter of the Construction Management Association of America has honored Larry H. Eisenberg, executive director of facilities planning and development for the Los Angeles Community College District at its annual awards banquet. Eisenberg was recognized for his leadership on the $2.2 billion Proposition A/AA Bond program for the renovation of nine Los Angeles Community Colleges.
Susan A. Grode, co-chair of Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP’s national entertainment and media practice, has been named the 2006 Woman of Vision and Action Award by the Ms. Foundation for Women. The award honors extraordinary women who work for equal rights and protections for all members of society. Grode was chosen for her political activism and advocacy in the women’s movement.
Covenant House California will honor Valerie Van Galder and Lawrence Bond at the seventh annual “Covenant With Youth Awards Gala.” Galder is president of marketing for Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group and Bond is co-founder and chairman of The Bond Cos. They will be recognized for civic involvement. The award will be presented on May 12 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
The Porrath Foundation for Cancer Patient Advocacy will honor Dr. Robert W. Beart Jr. of the USC/Norris Cancer Center Beart is a pioneer in colon cancer surgery and treatment.
The City of Irwindale has recognized SCE Federal Credit Union for its outstanding contributions to the community.
