Irvine Co. Losing Veteran Spokesman; Tom Daly to Wed

Donald Bren is losing his voice. After 30 years on the media-PR merry-go-round, including the last 13 as spokesman of Bren’s Irvine Co., Larry Thomas has decided to get off and “pursue a growing personal wish list” that includes more golf, more reading, more travel and even being “a more attentive dad.” The classy, popular Thomas will leave the company next month and take up to two years off. Then he’ll decide on “a new professional course,” by which time he hopes “to better understand how to navigate this new Information Age.” He may do some consulting, “but that is at the bottom of the priority food chain.” Thomas, 52, started out as a reporter for UPI and the San Diego Union before moving into PR, where his bosses included George Deukmajian, Pete Wilson and George Bush. A permanent replacement for Thomas has yet to be named; understudy Paul Kranhold will take over in the interim, at least … They’re engaged: Anaheim Mayor Tom Daly and county lobbyist Debbie Trabattoni Real estate is smokin’. Last week, the Building Industry Association’s annual evening with Chapman U prez-and-economic-forecaster Jim Doti drew a record 890, nearly 1,000 attended Mike Ferry and sons’ three-day workshop for residential brokers at the Hyatt Regency Irvine and 430 commercial real estate operatives packed into the Vision 2000 conference at the Newport Beach Marriott Payback time: Irvine council members Larry Agran and Dave Christensen have been replaced on the board of the El Toro Reuse Planning Authority by two council members more to the liking of Mayor Christina Shea,her political allies Mike Ward and Greg Smith. Shea stays on ETRPA, natch More El Toro turbulence: Peter Brennan reports that Gary Simon is out as the county’s real estate team manager at the former Marine base. Simon said he’s being replaced by Alan Murphy, assistant director at John Wayne. El Toro boss Mike Lapin said Simon’s duties will be assumed by the John Wayne staff in general Former Times OC editor Carol Stogsdill has joined LA PR firm APCO Associates as a senior VP. The formal announcement mentions her accomplishments with the Times, but not her short stint at Fleishman-Hillard, which included an even shorter stint as an El Toro airport consultant Is that former OCBJ reporter Kelly Barron pictured as a Forbes’ star on page 16 of the magazine’s Jan. 10 issue? Yep. And that’s her cover story on “Company of the Year” UPS The Jan. 10 Wall Street Journal featured Pimco’s William H. Gross as one of 12 mutual fund managers to watch. “In a decade of eye-popping gains for stocks, William Gross did the impossible: He became a star by investing in staid bonds.” And, of course, the piece mentioned that Gross will get a seven-year, $199 million deal when Allianz AG takes over.