Judith A. Bijlani has been named executive director of the Laguna Beach Visitors and Conference Bureau.
She replaces Kathleen Spalione.
Bijlani most recently was president and founder of the Bijlani Group, a marketing firm that has worked for the Orange County Tourism Council for the past two years.
Previously, she was the marketing director for MainPlace Santa Ana, now called Westfield Shoppingtown MainPlace.
Bijlani is set to work on bringing visitors and meetings to Laguna Beach while overseeing advertising and public relations.
Bijlani received certification in marketing from the International Council of Shopping Centers at Michigan State University.
She is a member of the California Travel Industry Association, Anaheim/Orange County Visitor and Convention Bureau, Orange County Tourism Council and the Children’s Bureau of Orange County.
Bijlani and her husband live in Aliso Viejo, where she spends free time reading and doing travel writing.
“My hobby is travel,” she said.
,Sandi Cain
ADVERTISING & PUBLIC RELATIONS
Michele Morris was promoted from account supervisor to director of account services at Hayes Martin Associates Inc. in Newport Beach.
APPAREL
Irvine-based Westlife Distribution USA LLC, parent of 686 Clothing Co. and Sepia Manu-facturing brands, added Kristin Cusic as marketing manager.
AUTOMOTIVE
Chris Hosford was promoted from executive director to vice president of corporate communications at Fountain Valley-based Hyundai Motor America Inc., a unit of South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co. The company also promoted the following: Katherine Parker to vice president of human resources and community affairs; Ron Haughey to executive director of finance operations; Bob Stephenson to director of parts distribution; and Paul Whitworth to director of strategic planning and brand development.
BANKING
Wells Fargo & Co. promoted Marcus Cobbe to district manager for the central Orange district. Cobbe joined Wells Fargo in 1996 as a personal banker.
Orange County’s Credit Union appointed Terry Pierce as assistant vice president of electronic funds transfer and promoted Mary Ann Felix to assistant vice president and manager at the Ross Street branch in Santa Ana.
CONSULTING
Mike Surface was promoted as vice president of the manufacturing, technology and consumer practice at the Costa Mesa office of McLean, Va.-based BearingPoint Inc., which provides consulting and systems integration. Andrew Williams was added as managing director.
DISTRIBUTION
Orange-based Southern Counties Oil Co., a petroleum distributor, appointed John Frazier as president of its wholesale bulk division.
LAW
Phyllis Badham Alzamora was added as manager of marketing and recruiting at the Costa Mesa office of Greenberg Traurig LLP.
Christopher J. Bonkowski was named associate at Stutz, Artiano, Shinoff & Holtz, a public entity and education law firm, where he primarily will work in its Santa Ana office.
FINANCE
New York-based wealth manager U.S. Trust Corp. promoted Kris W. Krauel to senior vice president at its Costa Mesa office.
Christian Sinatra was named vice president of global business development at Colorado’s Key Equipment Finance, working from Irvine. Key Equipmen is part of Cleveland-based Key Corp.
LAW
Phyllis Badham Alzamora was added as manager of marketing and recruiting at the Costa Mesa office of Greenberg Traurig LLP. Alzamora previously was with the Building Industry Association of Southern California as director of public affairs.
Christopher J. Bonkowski was named associate at Stutz, Artiano, Shinoff & Holtz, a public entity and education law firm, where he primarily will work in its Santa Ana office.
Tressler, Soderstrom, Maloney & Priess named Katherine Klima Liner partner in its Costa Mesa office.
Eric N. Riezman was hired as managing shareholder for San Diego-based Shea, Stokes & Carter ALC’s new office in Costa Mesa.
MARKETING
San Clemente-based Kanatsiz Communications Inc added Ashley Adams to its public relations and marketing division.
Glenn Owen joined the Powermark Group, a technology marketing company based in San Juan Capistrano, as producer and director.
NONPROFIT
Habitat for Humanity of Orange County hired Heather McKenzie-Densmore as vice president of development.
REAL ESTATE
Brian Brocoff became co-owner of Hermosa Beach’s Rockland Properties’ real estate division. Brocoff works at its Irvine office.
The Irvine Community Development Co., a unit of The Irvine Company, promoted Ken Coulter from senior vice president of community development to executive vice president of community development and construction. He is set to succeed Mike Ellis, who will retire at the end of the fiscal year.
Fred Grant was named Western regional sales manager for bulk acquisitions at the Irvine headquarters of Option One Mortgage Corp., a subsidiary of H & R; Block Inc. Grant formerly served as senior account executive for New Century Mortgage Corp.
Granite Homes hired Amy Harrell as project manager at its Irvine headquarters.
Chris Huaracha and Gary Williams were hired as project coordinators at Santa Ana-based J. L. Hare Associates Inc., which manages project entitlements and permits.
Snyder Langston added six people at its Irvine headquarters: Jonathan Robinson as senior project engineer; Aaron Fry, Jeff Landgraf, Paul Knickerbocker and Kris Nordbak as project engineers; and George Robles as project manager.
Gary Schrader was hired as chief financial officer at Irvine-based J.D. Pierce Co. Schrader brings more than 25 years of experience to the position.
The newly formed Real Estate Partners Asset Management Services Inc., a unit of Irvine’s Real Estate Partners Inc., named Robert C. Warren III president. Warren will continue serving as president of Investors’ Property Services, based in Santa Ana, which he joined in 1985.
Martin Wool was named president of the specialty insurance segment at Santa Ana-based First American Corp. Wool also will continue as president and chief executive of the company’s subsidiary, First American Home Buyers Protection Corp.
Fort Worth, Texas-based D.R. Horton Inc. named Julie Young escrow coordinator at its Irvine office. Young previously worked as senior escrow coordinator at Toll Brothers Inc.
TECHNOLOGY
2advanced.net, an Aliso Viejo-based Web hosting company, appointed cofounder and former chief executive of Media Temple Inc., Thomas Anthony, as director of business development.
John J. Mudge was named president and chief operating officer at Huntington Beach-based Alphalogix Inc., a provider of software and services. Mudge brings more than two decades of computer industry experience. The company also appointed Michael Conley as vice president of sales for its newly formed products division. Conley formerly served as worldwide vice president of sales for One Touch Systems.
Worldlink Integration Group Inc. added Jackie Porras as manager of project administration and Alan Koebrick and Pat Nelson as project managers at its Tustin headquarters. The company is set to move its headquarters to Irvine this summer.
