Canada’s Cossette Buys Paine; Chapman Grows, Doti Shrinks

PainePR, OC’s largest homegrown public relations firm, has been bought by Canada’s Cossette Communications Group, price undisclosed. David Paine says he’ll continue to run the 50-person, four-city shop, with an eye toward expansion Manifest Doti: Chapman U’s westward expansion continues with the acquisition of the Villa Park Orchards Association packing plant in Orange. Prez Jim Doti says there are no immediate plans for the site, but the six acres “will allow us to consider new possibilities for Chapman’s future.” Another step for Chapman’s law school: inclusion in the 2005 edition of Princeton Review’s “Best 117 Law Schools.” How close is Doti with the Governator? At the groundbreaking of the Marion Knott Studios building last week, Arnold Schwarzenegger (paying his fifth visit to campus) kidded that Jim should be his co-star in “Twins II.” But the OC Register pic exaggerated their height difference,publicity savvy Doti crouched for the camera. Arnold has put Doti on his Council of Economic Advisors with Doti’s U of Chicago mentors Milton Friedman, Gary Becker and George Schultz. “What a kick!” says Doti First Lady Laura Bush hardly was the only VIP at Fortune’s invitation-only, no-press, Most Powerful Women Summit at the St. Regis Monarch Beach last week. Others included eBay CEO Meg Whitman, Avon boss Andrea Jung, Xerox chief Anne Mulcahy, Playboy CEO Christie Hefner, FAA Administrator Marion Blakey, Autodesk boss Carol Bartz, Time Inc. chief Ann Moore, former Ireland President Mary Robinson, TV journalist Leslie Stahl and tennis great Billie Jean King. Cyndi Lauper sang Marilyn and Tom Nielsen are chairing a $5.6 million fund-raising campaign for the Maya Lin-designed Arts Plaza at UCI’s Claire Trevor School of the Arts Rich advice: OCers Victoria Collins (Keller Group) and Laura Tarbox (Tarbox Equity) make Robb Report Worth’s list of the 100 Top Financial Advisors, while Michael Johnston (Smith Barney) makes R.J. Shook’s Top 100 wealth advisers featured in Barron’s Mentoring group WomanSage hosts author Gail Sheehy this Saturday in Orange. Call (949) 222-4210 BusinessWeek’s chief economist Michael Mandel has breakfast with the Public Relations Society of America Thursday. Call (714) 832-2037 … Author Ken Blanchard of “One Minute Manager” fame speaks at Concordia U’s luncheon forum Oct. 22 at the Hyatt Regency Irvine. Call (800) 229-1200, ext. 1854 Jim and Nikki Wood, who created The Coaster, forerunner to the OC Register’s Coast magazine, are starting another lifestyle mag in Marin, where they now live What did Harriett Wieder get for her birthday? A new right hip. “It’s my dancing leg,” quips OC’s recuperating grand dame Gender conscious: Despite the prominence of beefcakes Jim and Arnold, women outnumber men in this column, 22 to 13.