ACCOUNTING
Ernest D. Miranda has joined Grant Thornton LLP as an assurance partner in the firm’s Irvine office. Miranda is a certified public accountant in California and Texas and has worked for Ernst & Young LLP in Orange County.
APPAREL
Laguna Hills resident John Vance was hired by Tare7 as general manager of apparel. Tare7 is the Golden, Colo.-based owner of Airwalk, Genetica and Ripzone USA brands. Vance has a 27-year career in sporting goods that includes positions at Quiksilver Inc., Ocean Pacific Apparel Corp. and Corona-based 5150 Snowboards. Vance will oversee apparel brands and operate from the company’s Southern California office.
ASSISTED LIVING
Deanna Cason has been named vice president for operations and marketing at Vintage Senior Housing LLC, Newport Beach. Previously Cason was West Coast regional vice president for Seattle’s Merrill Gardens LLC and ARV Assisted Living Inc., Costa Mesa.
BANKING
Sunwest Bank, Tustin, has promoted Fred Sneddon to senior vice president. Sneddon specializes in commercial banking and started with Sunwest in 1993. He’s a member of the Community Association Institute and is president-elect of the Tustin Rotary Club.
CONSTRUCTION
Irvine’s Granite Homes hired Cheryl Smith as project accountant. Smith is responsible for the company’s payable and receivable accounts, account analysis, financial reporting, office management, bank loan draws and escrow closings. Previously, Smith held positions at the Grant Building Co. and Richmond American Homes.
HEALTHCARE
Lake Forest-based I-Flow Corp. has named William L. Konopisos vice president of sales. Konopisos previously worked for ExcellaDerm Corp., Johnson & Johnson’s Biosense Webster, Mallinckrodt Inc. and Shiley Inc., a Pfizer Inc. unit. I-Flow produces drug delivery systems.
The doctors of Laguna Hills’ La Paz Chiropractic named Dr. Lori Heineken to their practice. Heineken graduated from the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic in 1987 and has run her own practice for several years.
LAW
Klinedinst, Fliehman & McKillop PC, Santa Ana, has announced the addition of Grant Waterkotte to the firm. Waterkotte works on professional liability matters with a special focus on legal malpractice. His primary responsibilities include conducting research projects, writing motions and preparing case briefs.
MEDIA
Jim Leach has been appointed vice president of government affairs for Cox Communications Inc. in Orange County. Leach is responsible for government affairs associated with the company’s Orange County system. Previously, Leach was the executive director of government affairs for AT & T;’s Broadband Chicago division. He is active in the Orange County Forum, the Lincoln Club of Orange County and the California Cable Television Association.
REAL ESTATE
Scott V. Monroe has been named senior vice president for the multifamily property management division of the Sares-Regis Group, Irvine. Monroe will work on underwriting of acquisitions and new development as well as oversee the management and operations for the Southern California region. Most recently, Monroe was senior vice president of operations with Archstone Communities.
Lee & Associates, Irvine, has hired Rich McEvoy as an associate broker. McEvoy is responsible for servicing commercial real estate needs of his industrial clients in South Orange County. Before joining Lee & Associates, he owned his own public relations company, Virtue Communications. Additionally, Mark Jerue has been elected to the company’s board of directors and named vice president of commercial real estate services. Jerue has been with the company for two years, and specializes in leasing, sales and investments of industrial, R & D;, high tech and manufacturing properties in Orange County.
RESTAURANTS
El Adobe Restaurant, San Juan Capistrano, has appointed Susan Seanez general manager. Previously, Seanez was general manager of Senor Lico’s Mexican Restaurant in Trabuco Canyon and has worked for Jenny Craig in Anaheim Hills and Nutrisystem in Berkeley. She also has owned and operated Seanez Interpreting Inc., a professional interpreting firm.
