AUTOMOTIVE
Japan’s Toyo Group appointed Masaharu Yoshimoto as executive vice president of Cypress-based Toyo Tire (U.S.A.) Corp. Yoshimoto joined the company in 1972. Toyo Tire (U.S.A.) also promoted Travis Roffler to senior director of marketing. Roffler formerly was director of marketing and national director of sales.
CONSTRUCTION
Hacker Industries Inc., a supplier of gypsum concrete floor and sound mat products, hired Ken Fitzpatrick as sales and architectural coordinator. Fitzpatrick is a member of the Radiant Panel Association and will advise on radiant heat systems.
EDUCATION
Dennis M. Power was appointed president, effective July 1, at Laguna College of Art & Design. Power most recently was executive director at the Oakland Museum of California and previously served as director and manager of several other arts institutions.
ENTERTAINMENT
Anaheim Arena Management LLC, the management company for Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim, hired Bonner Paddock as senior manager of sales. Paddock comes from Seaver Marketing Group, where he served as director of business development.
FINANCE
Kristel Namimatsu was named southern regional manager for Union Bank of California’s residential real estate division in San Clemente. Namimatsu most recently was vice president for home mortgage consultants in ReMax realtor offices.
Fremont Investment & Loan promoted Dan Nishikawa to senior vice president of portfolio risk management.
Coby Sonenshine was appointed president at Costa Mesa-based RSM EquiCo, an investment bank that’s part of H & R; Block Inc. Before, Sonenshine was chief executive of RSM EquiCo Capital Markets LLC, the firm’s brokerage arm.
INSURANCE
Orange-based Word & Brown Cos. promoted Jeffrey Compangano from director of strategic business development to vice president of strategic business development. Compangano also provides legal counsel and oversees compliance and regulatory issues for Word & Brown Insurance Administrators Inc. and Choice Administrators, both part of Word & Brown Cos.
Zach Spann, Jeff Voorhees and Erin M. de Lucia were named vice presidents of commercial property and casualty at White & Company Insurance Inc. The three will be working part time out of the company’s Irvine office. Spann previously was sales representative at the Automobile Club of Southern California. Voorhees formerly was claims administrator for Integrated Claims Administrators. De Lucia most recently was casualty claims examiner for Allstate Insurance.
LAW
Payne & Fears LLP named Laurel E. Adcock, Erik M. Andersen, John T. Egley, Steven Ganotis, Eric J. Wersching and Willie W. Williams associates at the firm’s Irvine office.
Madison S. Spach Jr and Michael D. Capaldi of the Newport Beach office and Douglas S. Waggaman were named founding partners of Spach, Capaldi & Waggaman LLP. Ca-paldi is chairman of The Lincoln Club of Orange County.
Kring & Chung LLP hired June Ko Yang as attorney at its Irvine headquarters. Yang previously worked at the law offices of Adrienne D. Cohen.
NONPROFIT
Dick Allen, president of DIMA Ventures, and Kris Elftmann, president of Noelle Communications, joined the board of Costa Mesa-based The Mind Institute, an education nonprofit. Theresa Poprac was hired as president of sales at the institute.
Frank Ayala of Southern California Gas Co. and an Orange County Business Council board member was renominated to serve a three-year term on the board of Orange County Business Committee for the Arts. Richard Reisman, Business Council board member and publisher of the Orange County Business Journal, was renominated to the advisory board.
REAL ESTATE
Dale Camera was promoted from senior associate to principal at the Irvine office of Lee & Associates.
Dallas-based Centex Corp. hired Mark Ferdi as land acquisitions manager of its South Coast division. Ferdi brings more than two decades of brokerage and asset management in commercial real estate.
TECHNOLOGY
Josh McCarter was promoted from vice president of business development to chief operating officer at technology products distributor Arbitech LLC in Laguna Beach.
