PEOPLE
Compiled by Meenakshi Viswanathan
ADVERTISING & PUBLIC RELATIONS
Michael Suydam, a public affairs strategist and community relations specialist, joined Porter Novelli’s Irvine office as an account manager. Suydam will oversee communications programs in land use, initiative campaigns and local government.
Strottman International, a youth and family marketing agency in Irvine, hired Lori Donchak as director of consumer insights.
AEROSPACE
Compass Aerospace Corp. in Santa Ana promoted John R. Reimers to chairman and James M. Storie to chief operating officer and president. Reimers also is chief executive of the company.
AGRICULTURE
Deere & Co.’s John Deere Landscapes unit appointed Ryan Hanley to the new position of account manager for the direct sales division. Hanley will be based at the John Deere branch in San Juan Capistrano and will handle direct sales in Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah.
ARCHITECTURE
Alameda-based MBH Architects Inc. named Emad Michael as an associate at its Newport Beach office. Michael previously worked for Frank Williams & Associates in New York.
CONSTRUCTION
Sonny Scott joined Taisei Construction Corp. in Cypress as project executive. Scott previously was project manager with Rancho Dominguez-based Inner Space Constructors.
ENGINEERING
Irvine’s Leighton Consulting Inc. appointed Thomas C. Benson, Jr. to serve as chief executive and president. Benson previously served as vice president at Lowney Associates in Fullerton.
FINANCE
Newport Beach-based Roth Capital Partners LLC hired David J. Enzer as managing director, corporate finance, in its Los Angeles office. Enzer previously was a senior managing director at Everen Securities, which was bought by Wachovia Corp.
Jeff McFadden joined New Century Financial Corp. as senior vice president, compliance. McFadden previously was an executive vice president at Financial Freedom Senior Funding Corp., an affiliate of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.
HEALTHCARE
Newport Beach-based TriZetto Group Inc., a provider of healthcare technology software and services, appointed James C. Malone to the position of chief financial officer. Malone previously was the chief financial officer of IMS Health Inc.
Chicago-based healthcare financing company MarCap Corp. appointed Peter S. Myhre as president. Myhre previously served as senior vice president for DVI Financial Services Inc. in Newport Beach.
LAW
Dennis Alan Duchene joined McDermott, Will & Emery’s Irvine office as a partner in the intellectual property department. Duchene previously was a partner at Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto in Costa Mesa.
Newmeyer & Dillion LLP hired Leonard Polyakov and Carol Sherman Zaist as litigation associates at its Newport Beach office.
NONPROFIT
HomeAid Orange County, the charitable arm of the Building Industry Association of Southern California, named Emile Haddad to its board of directors. Haddad is president of Lennar Communities.
REAL ESTATE
MBK Real Estate Ltd. in Irvine hired Caron Dean Shore as vice president, risk management. Prior to joining MBK, Shore was vice president and worldwide director of human resources and administration for Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo Inc. in Newport Beach.
TECHNOLOGY
Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America Inc. in Irvine named Frank DeMartin vice president of marketing for its audio/video products division. DeMartin previously was senior director of sales and marketing for Sharp Electronics Corp.’s consumer electronics group.
Samsung Electronics America Inc.’s information technology unit in Irvine promoted Sam Akkapeddi to vice president of retail sales. Akkapeddi has been with the company since 1999.
