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Tuesday, May 5, 2026

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ACCOUNTING

Glenn M. Gelman & Associates, Santa Ana, appointed Lorie Still marketing director. Still was the manager of marketing communications for GoShip before joining the company.

Jackie De Leon and Ted Toner joined Strata Technologies in Anaheim as product specialists. Before joining Strata, De Leon and Toner were both with Bank of America’s consumer loan center.

Ernst & Young admitted Marc Blythe to the firm’s partnership. Blythe will work in the Irvine office.


ARCHITECTURE

James Merritt was hired as senior project manager by Danielian Associates in Irvine. Merritt has been licensed since 1980 and is a member of the American Institute of Architects.


ARTS

The Festival of Arts board in Laguna Beach appointed Sharbie Higuchi to director.


CONSTRUCTION

Steve DeWulf was appointed director of pre-construction services for Cumming LLC in San Juan Capistrano.


EDUCATION

Kara Michelin Lane was promoted to director of UC Irvine’s Chief Executive Roundtable. Before joining UCI in 1998, Lane directed account relations at Redsand Inc.


ENGINEERING

Leighton and Associates, Irvine, named Patrick Schmidt, a senior project engineer, an associate in the company.


FINANCIAL SERVICES

E-Commerce Exchange, Irvine, appointed Gaurang Desai to its board of directors. Desai formerly was a managing director for the technology group of Deutsche Banc Alex. Brown.


HEALTHCARE

Atairgin Technologies Inc. in Irvine appointed Debra K. Liebert vice president of corporate development. Liebert was most recently vice president of corporate development at Lion Bioscience Inc.

The Costa Mesa-based Prescription Solutions unit of PacifiCare Health Systems Inc., Santa Ana, hired Kevin O’Neil as manager of national business development.

Douglas Ingram was named corporate vice president, general counsel and secretary of Allergan Inc. in Irvine. Ingram joined Allergan in 1996 as senior attorney.

LAW

Watt, Tieder, Hoffar & Fitzgerald of Irvine hired Michael Germain as a new partner. The firm also added four new associates to its Irvine office: Timothy Elliott, Geoffrey Graves, John Marking and David Nemeth Jr.


MANUFACTURER

Master Halco Inc. appointed John Thompson to purchasing manager at the company’s corporate offices in La Habra. Thompson was recently the director of planning and procurement for Reeves Southeastern in Tampa, Fla.

BDS Marketing, Irvine, promoted Phil Totman to director of purchasing. Totman joined BDS in 1990 as a market manager.

The SoCal Business Marketing Association in Irvine announced Christel Hall was named chapter president.


NONPROFIT

The governing board of Pretend City, the Children’s Museum of Orange County Inc. named Alexandra Airth chairman of the board and Sandra Peffer executive director of the museum.

Jon White was hired as president of the Orange County Chapter of the Professional Coaches and Mentors Association.

Families Forward of Irvine appointed five new board members: Peter Byrne, Sandra Loughlin Burkhead, Mike Regele, Cathie Slavick and Paul Tonkovich.


PUBLISHING

Guest Informant Custom Publishing hired Connie Hamilton as associate publisher for its Orange County offices.


REAL ESTATE

Tony Dellos joined SunCoast Properties in Irvine as lead controller.

The O’Donnell/Atkins Co. hired Joe Percival as chief financial officer of the commercial land brokerage department. Percival will be responsible for a portfolio of more than 1.4 million square feet of properties in California, Las Vegas, New Mexico and Chicago.

August Napolitano joined Grubb & Ellis Co. in Newport Beach as executive vice president and managing director. Napolitano was previously vice president of sales for Prologis Trust.

Paul Trapp joined Donahue Schriber as senior leasing representative. Trapp will manage new development in centers such as Del Mar Highlands Town Center in Del Mar and Poinsettia Village in Carlsbad.

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