Compiled by Kelly Ryan
ACCOUNTING
Gary M. Polich joined McKennon, Wilson & Morgan LLP as a partner in its Irvine office. Polich has more than 20 years of experience as a certified professional accountant and specializes in tax planning and compliance. He has worked for firms in Los Angeles and managed his own firm in Irvine.
BANKING
Nicky Grismer was named district manager for Wells Fargo & Co.’s Newport Coast district. Grismer joined Wells Fargo in 1989 as a service specialist. Before that, she was premier banking community banking president for Wells Fargo’s Orange County region. She is a graduate of Pacific Banking School and holds series 7 and 66 licenses.
EDUCATION
Mia Kyricos joined the advisory board of UC Irvine Extension. She is director of spa development and marketing and operations at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc.
Kari Caldwell was named director of college advancement at Santiago Canyon College. Caldwell is set to plan and implement programs that generate community goodwill and financial support for the college. She has been director of Rancho Santiago Community College District’s center for excellence program and contact training since 2004.
Rancho Santiago Community College District’s board of trustees elected officers for 2008. Phillip E. Yarbrough was named president and has spent 12 years on the board. R. David Chapel was named vice president and is a part-time instructor at California State University, Dominguez Hills. Lawrence “Larry” Labrado became clerk and was elected to the board in 1994.
The South Orange County Community College District board of trustees nominated Donald P. Wagner as president and John S. Williams as vice president. Wagner has been elected to three consecutive terms on the board since 1988. Thomas A. Fuentes was re-elected as clerk.
Huntington Beach’s Armando R. Ruiz was elected president of Coast Community College District board of trustees. Ruiz has been on the board since 1983 and spent terms as president and vice president. Trustee Mary Hornbuckle was elected vice president.
GOVERNMENT
The Orange County Water District board of directors named Stephen R. Sheldon president for the 2008 term. Sheldon is a representative for division five, which includes Newport Beach, Irvine and Tustin. He was first appointed to the board in 2005. Sheldon is a lawyer with more than 20 years of experience in public policy, government relations and political consulting.
Robert V. McDonald of Anaheim Hills joined the California Community Colleges board of governors. Since 1998 he served as president and executive director for the Black Chamber of Commerce of Orange County. He also has been a partner of W. Davis and Associates. Shirley Wheat of Irvine was appointed to the state Board of Pharmacy.
Irvine’s Hass Avocado elected Len Francis, Jim Donovan, Don Reeder and Ed Figueroa as officers of its board. Chairman Francis has been on the board since 2002 and has served as treasurer and vice chairman. More than 20,000 producers and 100 importers are involved in the Hass Avocado board, which promotes domestic and imported Hass avocados.
LAW
Fisher & Phillips LLP added Christopher J. Archibald and S. Sean Kundu as associates in its Irvine office. Archibald is a graduate of the Pepperdine University School of Law. Kundu worked as an international business consultant for CGI Group Inc. before going to law school.
Shigenobu Itoh joined Rutan & Tucker LLP as an associate in the firm’s corporate and securities group. Itoh previously was with the Los Angeles office of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP. His primary practice focuses on acquisitions, dispositions and mergers of private and publicly traded companies.
NONPROFIT
Sara Snoy was named president of the Mission San Juan Capistrano Docent Society. Docents lead tours and engage in special projects that illustrate the mission’s history. Snoy is a self-employed human relations consultant and lives in Laguna Niguel.
Laguna Niguel-based Art & Creativity for Healing added Kristin Filippi, Patti Messerschmitt and Erica Rosas. Filippi is marketing and communications director for Blue Fire Marketing & Design. Messerschmitt is a philanthropist from Laguna Niguel. Rosas is an associate director of operations and analytics for headquarters training at Verizon Wireless.
REAL ESTATE
Bea Garrahy of the Irvine office of Keystone Pacific Property Management Inc. was promoted from associate community association manager to community association manager. She will continue to manage a portfolio of existing accounts throughout OC.
RECRUITING
Irvine-based Decision Toolbox hired Charlotte Manning as a recruitment partner. Previously, Manning was an independent contract recruiting consultant for a Fortune 500 consulting firm. Kim Caughren joined the company as a recruitment partner with nearly 20 years of experience. She was previously a recruitment consultant for Bridge Capital-USA Lend in Foothill Ranch.
