Compiled by Roberta Boginis
Tarsadia Hotels Taps Geshay
Thom Geshay was named to the new position of senior vice president of real estate at Newport Beach-based Tarsadia Hotels.
Geshay comes to Tarsadia from Memphis-based Davidson Hotel Co., where he previously handled West Coast development and closed nearly $1 billion in real estate deals. He’s been a hospitality industry executive for 20 years.
He is set to oversee all new business activity, including acquisitions, sales and development for existing hotels, land and ground leases.
Geshay said he’s known Tarsadia’s top executives for some time and likes their long-term strategy. Geshay said his position was created out of a “need to grow the structure of the company.”
At Davidson, Geshay worked in operations, sales and marketing. He also was general manager of several hotels owned by the company.
Tarsadia is a 29-year-old company that operates 16 hotels in Southern California, San Francisco and Las Vegas. The company also has 10 hotels under development, including a 250-room Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego’s Gaslamp District.
,Sandi Cain
ACCOUNTING
Deloitte & Touche LLP appointed Christine D. Brown business development manager at its Costa Mesa office. Brown previously was with Ernst & Young LLP for more than 12 years.
EDUCATION
Lilia Tanakeyowma was named dean of student affairs at Santa Ana College by the Rancho Santiago Community College District. Tanakeyowma joined the college in 1998 and has experience in teaching and administration.
ENERGY
Petrominerals Corp. in San Clemente appointed Terrance Malloy to its board. He also was named chairman of the company’s audit committee. Malloy is a principal at the Malloy Group in Laguna Beach.
HOSPITALITY
The Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa named Julie Mash marketing manager. Mash comes from the Hyatt corporate offices in Chicago where she served for the past six years in various positions from pricing coordinator to manager of gold passport international marketing operations.
INSURANCE
Michael L. Close was named president at Orange-based Conexis, a benefits administration company. Close joined the company in 2003 as chief sales and marketing officer and replaces Ken Farrell. Conexis is a unit of Word & Brown Cos.
LAW
Michael W. Shonafelt was elected partner at the Irvine office of Nossaman, Guthner, Knox & Elliot. Shonafelt represents wireless telecommunications companies and building industry clients.
MARKETING
Costa Mesa-based Rox-burgh Agency promoted Tenoka Hudson to account coordinator. Hudson received a bachelor’s in communications with emphasis on public relations from Chapman University.
NONPROFIT
Sheila Hickey became executive director at the Education for the Children Foundation in Rancho Santa Margarita.
The Ocean Institute in Dana Point promoted Dan Stetson from vice president and chief operations officer to president, effective in July. Stetson is set to succeed president Dan Gee, who is retiring but will stay on as an adviser through December.
REAL ESTATE
Daniel Flynn was promoted from director of land acquisition to vice president of land acquisition for the South Coast Division at Newport Beach-based John Laing Homes.
San Francisco-based Newcastle Partners Inc., which develops and invests in office and industrial properties, named Jackson B. Smith partner at its Newport Beach office. Prior to joining the company, Smith was senior development manager at Panattoni Development Co.
