Chapman’s B-School Dean Steps Down; McKenna’s Hollywood
Rick Reiff
About six months after he arrived from U of Kansas, Henry Butler has stepped down as dean of Chapman U’s B-school; he remains on the faculty. Econ prof Raymond Sfeir becomes acting dean Newport Coast’s David McKenna, the screenwriter of edgy films “American History X,” “Body Shots,” the “Getting Carter” remake and last year’s “Blow,” is keeping busy. He’s set to direct his first film, “The Twelfth Man,” about a dysfunctional American family, starring Meryl Streep and James Gandolfini. McKenna’s script of “National Office,” about a 20-something who runs for president, is in development at Warner Bros. He’s been hired by Universal Pictures to rewrite a script based on the USS Indianapolis naval disaster of World War II. For Castle Rock he’s working on the life story of military hero Col. David Hackworth. Newport Beach-raised McKenna also finds time for Olive Crest, in-cluding a benefit Super Bowl bash at the Newport Beach Marriott he was hosting this past weekend with wife Marcy This is not your father’s Villa Nova: Andy Crean’s bar and restaurant on Mariner’s Mile is giving neighbor Dennis Rodman’s Josh Slocum’s a run for its money. Long known as a place for Newport oldsters, Villa Nova is now attracting the young and hip, too. Recent visitors have included sports agent Scott Boras with client superstar Alex Rodriguez. “Everyone starts and finishes there,” says one trend-spotter It’s a jungle: The Insider hears The Irvine Company has researchers poring over five-year-old news clips, to determine whose leases with other landlords are coming up for renewal Educated swings: The Irvine Co.’s Clarence Barker invited UCI profs Ralph Cicerone and Larry Overman to Shady Canyon GC. Chancellor Cicerone got an eagle-2, research chemist Overman got a hole-in-one Meanwhile, head pro Joe Rollins has left The Vintage in Palm Desert to take the same spot at Shady Canyon Mitch Sigband of Equity Office is doing his best to kill one of the Insider’s running stories. In response to accounts of EE RR rescuing wanderers from the 2600 Michelson fire-escape vortex outside his office door, the building’s landlord sent out a locksmith and posted signs. We’ll see Sign of the times: The LA Times has killed its “Tech Times” section.
