NEWSMAKERS
Operations Head Aims to Bring New Blood to Red Cross
Kenneth Kieffer has his own agenda for reform in California only it involves blood, not budgets.
The newly appointed director of operations for the American Red Cross Southern California blood region, Kieffer’s main goal is to make the state self-sufficient for its blood needs.
“That means we’ll have to increase our collection by about 50 percent,” Kieffer said. California relies on imports from other parts of the nation to meet its stockpile quota of 4,000 pints on hand as a three-day supply.
Addressing that challenge is what drew Kieffer to Los Angeles from St. Paul, Minn., where he was director of donor services for the North Central blood region, managing a budget of $23 million.
He joined the “blood business” 18 years ago as an information systems manager and has served in Red Cross offices in Washington and Salt Lake City.
The various tugs on Angelenos’ attention will be Kieffer’s biggest challenging in maintaining and recruiting donors, he said.
The slow economy has affected the blood business as well, with donations declining and supply short.
“Only 5 percent of the population eligible to donate actually donates,” said Kieffer. “People don’t realize that blood does have a shelf life. It only lasts 42 days. Giving once or at times of national emergency does not maintain a continuous blood supply.”
In addition to keeping his eyes open for potential donors, Kieffer is also keeping his ears open for a Los Angeles choir to join. “I’m a musician and I love to sing.”
The 52-year-old Minnesota native is divorced, with a college-aged daughter. He lives in West Hollywood.
Katherine Wang
Accounting
Ernst & Young has appointed Gabriel Marquez as a partner in its Century City real estate, hospitality and construction practice. Also named partners were Richard Fung, a corporate transaction tax specialist; Mark Hayden, a member of the investigations and disputes advisory practice; Patrick Niemann, part of the audit and advisory practice and Ken Welch, area director of sales and marketing.
Arts
The Music Center of Los Angeles County appointed eight members to its board: Brindell Gottlieb, Gerald Katell, Joyce Kresa, Bradley Oltmanns, Philip Schimmel, Hasan Raza Shirazi, Tom Weinberger and Rosalind Zane.
Consulting
DMJM Consulting appointed Nancy Levy vice president. She was previously a managing principal of Interior Architects.
Don Wells has been promoted to senior vice president and general manager of the Los Angeles office of Lee Hecht Harrison. Previously, he served as senior vice president and general manager of the Walnut Creek office.
Distribution
Tad Webster was named senior account executive and vice president of PromoShop. Webster was previously an executive sales manager at Cyrk.
Education
LucyAnn Geiselman has been named president of Antioch University Southern California. She was most recently president of Mt. Vernon College in Washington, D.C.
Entertainment
Scott Spungin was promoted to senior vice president, business affairs for MGM Television Entertainment. He had been vice president, business affairs.
Warner Bros. Entertainment has named Mark Gill president of its Warner Independent Pictures. Gill had served as president of Miramax Pictures.
Government
Superior Court Judges Madeleine Flier and Laurie Zelon have been appointed to the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District (Los Angeles). Judge Flier has been a judge for more than 25 years. Zelon practiced law at Morrison & Foerster before her appointment to the Superior Court bench in 2000.
L.A. Mayor James Hahn appointed Joe Jackson director of the criminal justice planning office. Jackson most recently served as the vice president of operations for the non-profit New Directions for Youth.
Michelle Gastelum and Cindy Tuttle were appointed to the California State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors. Gastelum is the president of Summit Consulting and Engineering Inc. Tuttle previously worked as the political and public relations director of the Operating Engineers Local Union No. 3.
Health Care
Health Net Inc. appointed Steven Nelson chief Medicare officer. Previously, he was vice president, network management and chief operating officer for United Healthcare of Arizona.
Axiom Pharmaceuticals has named Peter Cunningham chief operating officer and hired Lan Hao as chief financial officer. Hao was previously chief financial officer of Door Training Co. Cunningham was principal consultant in Coopers & Lybrand/Marc J. Consultants Healthcare Industry Practice.
Hospitality
Niki Albert has been hired as director of sales for the Coast Anabelle Hotel and Safari Inn. She had been director of sales at the Radisson Beverly Pavilion Hotel.
Insurance
Innovative Solutions Insurance Services LLC appointed Jerry Barr vice president of operations. Barr was vice president of agency sales and operations at Transamerica Occidental Life Insurance Co.
Law
Roxanne Davis and Phillip Maltin have formed the Davis Maltin Law Firm LLP. Maltin was previously senior counsel at the K & R Law Group and Davis had her own private practice.
Murchison & Cumming Managing Partner Friedrich Seitz was appointed chair of the products liability section of the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel.
John W. Amberg, a partner at Bryan Cave LLP, was appointed to the State Bar of California’s committee on professional responsibility and conduct.
Greenberg Traurig LLP named Gordon A. Schaller of counsel. Schaller practices personal tax and estate planning. He had been managing director of WealthAdvisors LLC.
Manufacturing
C.R. Laurence Co. Inc. hired John O’Brien as architectural hardware products manager. Before joining CRL, he worked with ACI, where he was in charge of the company’s classic products line.
K-Swiss has named Mark L. Louie to its board. He is a managing member and chief financial officer for Silicon Valley-based TechFund Capital.
Media
The National Association of Television Program Executives has appointed Andy Heyward, chairman and chief executive of DIC Entertainment, and John Weiser, executive vice president at Sony Pictures Television, to its board of directors.
The National Association of Television Program Executives has appointed Andy Heyward, chairman and chief executive of DIC Entertainment, and John Weiser, executive vice president at Sony Pictures Television, to its board of directors.
Non-Profit
United Way of Greater Los Angeles appointed Wells Fargo Bank executive Laura A. Schulte chairwoman of the 2003-2004 campaign. Schulte is president of the California, Nevada and Mexican border banking regions for Wells Fargo.
Public Relations
Andrea Roebker has been promoted to account supervisor in the Healthy Lifestyle division at the Blaze Co. She was previously a senior account executive.
MPRm Public Relations promoted Michael Lawson to senior vice president and Chris Libby to director. James Lewis returned to the firm as a senior account executive.
Real Estate
Studley has named Brian Campbell senior managing director in its downtown Los Angeles office. He was most recently a senior vice president at Colliers Seeley.
Larry J. Kosmont was appointed a member of the State Commission for Economic Development. Kosmont is president and chief executive of Kosmont Cos.
Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Brokerage Co. named Katherine Bergh, Gayle Factor and Andrew Perris senior investment associates.
SCI Real Estate Investments named Nancy Kresek chief financial officer. Previously, she was vice president, finance and administration for LRN, the Legal Knowledge Co.
Western Pacific Housing promoted Brent Reed to vice president of forward planning. He was previously director of forward planning. Dennis Handler was named project manager.
Technology
Jason Carlson, president and chief operating officer at Semtech Corp., will assume the duties of chief executive in October. He will pick up duties previously handled by Jack Poe, who will continue as chairman of the board. Carlson will become a member of the company’s board of directors.
Alan Amrod has been named vice president of marketing for Ixia. He is a 20-year industry veteran had been head of marketing for enterprise business at Alcatel. Amrod will head Ixia’s global marketing efforts.
Capstone Turbine named Mike Redmond senior vice president of engineering and operations. Redmond was most recently vice president of research and development at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories. John Fink III, previously of Daimler-Benz, was appointed to senior vice president of sales and marketing. Sharon Faltemier was also hired as vice president of human resources. She previously served as a vice president of human resources at Northrop Grumman Corp.
