Compiled by Roberta Boginis
ARCHITECTURE
Nan Richardson joined San Francisco-based IA Interior Architects Inc. at its Costa Mesa office to head business development. Richardson previously was with H. Hendy Associates Inc. as vice president of marketing and business development.
CONSULTING
Jeff Young was appointed to the coaching staff at San Clemente-based Corcoran Consulting & Coaching Inc., a consulting company for the real estate industry.
EMPLOYMENT
Woodcliff Lake, N.J.-based Lee Hecht Harrison LLC appointed Don Wells as senior vice president, signature service consultant for its Southern California offices. Lee Hecht Harrison, a unit of Switzerland’s Adecco SA, provides career and leadership consulting. Wells will be working at the Irvine office.
FINANCE
Wells Fargo Investments, a unit of San Francisco-based Wells Fargo & Co., added the following people as consultants: Art Rahimi, manager at the Von Karman branch in Irvine; Roubina Kurkjian, personal banker at the Orange Plaza branch in Orange; and Sandra Perez, personal banker at the Woodbridge branch in Irvine.
Ken West was named vice president and senior loan originator in the commercial real estate division of Anaheim Hills-based Fremont Investment & Loan at its Irvine location. Fremont Investment is a unit of Fremont General Corp. of Santa Monica.
MANUFACTURING
Degussa Corp., a unit of Germany’s Degussa AG, promoted Craig Vail from Western sales manager of the fine chemicals business unit to regional sales manager for the company’s aerosil and silanes business unit. Vail will work from his home office in Orange.
Philip A. Stephens was named vice president of finance at Irvine-based ORYXE Energy International Inc., which manufactures fuel additives for gasoline, diesel and jet fuels to help engines run cleaner.
MARKETING
Iacunato/mclane in Irvine added Gayle Griffithe as director of public relations. Griffithe formerly was with Prescription Solutions, PacifiCare Health Systems Inc.’s pharmacy unit.
Jeffrey Moore was hired as vice president and executive creative director at Irvine-based DevicePharm LLC, which serves the medical device and drug industries.
NONPROFIT
Costa Mesa’s Mind Institute elected Ellie Gordon, a supporter of the arts, to its board.
REAL ESTATE
Santa Ana-based First American Corp. promoted Jodee L. Barnett from national procurement director at its subsidiary, First American Title Insurance Co., to vice president of national procurement at the corporate level.
Irvine-based R.D. Olson Construction promoted Tim Cromwell from director of business development to vice president of business development.
Jaime DeJong joined Irvine-based Keystone Pacific Property Management Inc. as activities director of the Crystal Cove Community Association in Newport Beach.
Aliso Viejo-based Merit Cos. appointed Gail Deutsch as vice president of human resources. Deutsch most recently served as director of human resources at Trojan Battery Co.
Denise Hatch became chief financial officer at Irvine-based Empire Homes. Hatch formerly was credit analyst and systems administrator at Housing Capital Co. in Costa Mesa.
Laguna Woods-based Highpointe Communities Inc. promoted cofounder Steven Ludwig from senior vice president of operations to executive vice president. Kraig Kilger, former real estate partner with Costa Mesa law firm Rutan & Tucker LLP, was named senior vice president.
Mammoth Equities Capital Group LLC, based in Mission Viejo, made the following changes to its commercial real estate group: Joe Ryerson was promoted to president and director of operations; Randall “Randy” Beckman joined as vice president of sales; Jared Christensen was promoted to associate vice president, tenant-in-common/1031 sales; and Suzanne Obolsky was hired as associate vice president, tenant-in-common/1031 sales.
Amy Thorne was hired as office administrator at Irvine-based Whittlesey Doyle Real Estate & Land, a land brokerage. Prior to joining the company, Thorne was executive assistant to the chairman and chief executive of ARB Inc. in Lake Forest.
