Compiled by Christina Hur
CONSULTING
Nicole Kuperhand was named director of marketing for Laguna Hills-based Corporate Fi-nance Associates, which provides merger, acquisition and financial resource services for midsize companies. Kuperhand previously served as marketing manager for Towers Perrin’s Irvine office. She has more than 15 years of corporate marketing experience.
EDUCATION
Suzanne Hawley, a publicist who owns and runs Hawley Commun-ications in Orange, was appointed to California State University, Fuller-ton’s Alumni Association board. Hawley graduated from the university in 1994 with a master’s in radio/TV/film. She also is a writer and editor.
HEALTHCARE
Irvine-based Cogent Healthcare Inc. added Rachel George as regional medical director of the west/midwest region of Rockford, Ill. George previously was medical director of hospitalist services at OSF St. Anthony Medical Center in Rockford. She also is an associate clinical professor at University of Illinois College of Medicine.
Irvine-based Paragon Biomedical Inc., a contract research company that manages clinical trials, named Balagopal Nair regional and operational director for India. Nair has been in leadership roles with international drug companies for the past 12 years, holding positions of medical adviser, medical director and general manager.
LAW
Kevin Elder and Rhonda Kreger joined as associates at Newmeyer & Dillion LLP, a business and real estate law firm in Newport Beach. Elder’s background includes representing public and private companies in negotiating purchase and sale agreements, title review and environmental review. Kreger focuses on real estate and business transactions. She also is an instructor in the University of California, Irvine’s extension paralegal certificate program.
MARKETING
NetScope Inc., an Irvine-based interactive marketing agency, hired David Schreck as director of creative services. Before joining the agency, Schreck previously ran Leftcoast Studios for seven years. He has done work for Pfizer Inc., Comedy Central and Sandals Resorts.
NONPROFIT
Adult Day Services of Orange County, a day resource center in Huntington Beach for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, appointed five members to its board: Sally Afable, wife of Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian Chief Executive Richard Afable; Fay Blix, an elder law attorney; Scott Ferer, a neurologist in Newport Beach who specializes in dementia; Tom Johnson, general manager of the Los Angeles Times Community News; and Mary Lou Shattuck, a community volunteer and former teacher.
Phil Thomas, a business analyst at Irvine-based New Century Mortgage Corp., was named chairman of the safety committee for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s 24th annual MS 150 Bay-to-Bay Bike Tour. New Century Mortgage is a unit of Irvine-based New Century Financial Corp.
REAL ESTATE
Chris Wakim and Tim Muller joined as leasing/sales associates at Coreland Cos., a commercial real estate company in Tustin. Wakim previously served as a realtor with Century 21 Beachside Realty in Huntington Beach. Muller was a loan officer and sales associate in the mortgage industry for the past four years in Newport Beach.
Newport Beach-based homebuilder John Laing Homes added Patrick Higgins as vice president of sales. Prior to joining, Higgins served as vice president of sales for Centex Corp.’s West Coast region as well as acquisition and development manager for coastal Southern California.
TECHNOLOGY
Irvine-based telescope maker Meade Instruments Corp. appointed Don Finkle as senior vice president of operations. Finkle most recently was president and chief executive of Southwest Business Systems.
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