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Monday, Apr 27, 2026

PEOPLE



Compiled by Charla Batey


ASSOCIATIONS

Celeste Signorino joined the Orange County Business Council as vice president of investor relations and business development. Signorino has 15 years of experience in public affairs, including a stint at Newport Beach-based Conexant Systems Inc.


BANKING

Comerica Bank named Leah Beal vice president and district manager of South County. Beal previously was division manager for Sunwest Bank in Tustin.


CONSULTING

Foothill Ranch’s Athena Group Consulting LLC hired Daniel Carrillo as

an associate consultant for healthcare

providers.

Aliso Viejo-based UST Global promoted Sajan Pillai to chief executive, Krishna Sudheendra to chief financial officer and Joseph Nalkara and Arun Narayanan to joint chief operations officers.


EMPLOYMENT

Irvine-based McDermott & Bull Inc. named Cynthia Kunkel director. Kunkel will be responsible for day-to-day program implementation, business development and

strategic planning.


HOSPITALITY

The Westin South Coast Plaza promoted Robyn Joyce to national sales manager. Joyce previously was sales catering manager.


LAW

Irvine-based Jackson Demarco Tidus Pecken-paugh elected Alene Taber as a shareholder. Taber previously was a senior manager for the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

Todd Wight joined Costa Mesa-based Rutan & Tucker LLP as a partner in the intellectual property practice.


MEDIA & MARKETING

Santa Ana-based Mindshare Creative named Christine Hayama advertising account manager, Devon Fleischmann print production manager and Denise Bjorn public relations director.

MarkeTeam Inc. in Mission Viejo hired Jeff Wetzel and Emma Morrissey as client services coordinators.

Irvine-based RiechesBaird named Heidi Garlichs brand manager. Garlichs previously was an account executive at L & A; Marketing and Advertising.

Arras Group named Lisa Delaney account supervisor for the agency’s automotive group. Delaney will be based in the Costa Mesa office. She will take part in work for various clients, including motorcycle maker KTM North America, part of Germany’s KTM-Sportmotorcycle AG.


NONPROFIT

Santa Ana Empowerment Corp. named Alex B. Arjonilla a director. The corporation works to create economic opportunities for city residents.

Steve Howard and Renee Ritchie joined the J.F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center board in San Juan Capistrano. Howard is president of Irvine-based Busch Firm. Ritchie serves on the open space committee and community trails committee in San Juan Capistrano.

Ann Marie Watkins joined the board of Santa Ana-based Maternal Outreach Management System. Watkins is a director of clinical

operations at Children’s Hospital of Orange

County.


REAL ESTATE

Irvine-based John Burns Real Estate Consulting named Mollie Carmichael and Don Walker senior vice presidents and Jody Kahn vice president.

Hanley Investment Group Real Estate Advisors in Irvine promoted Kevin T. Fryman to vice president. Fryman previously was

senior associate.

Irvine-based CIP Real Estate hired Brad Storm as assistant vice president and director of real estate finance. Storm has more than five years of experience in the industry.

Greg Wattson joined Phoenix-based Opus West Corp. as vice president of retail development for the Western region. Wattson will be based in the company’s Irvine office.

Jonathan Mitchell was named vice president of investments in the Newport Beach office of brokerage Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Services Inc. He specializes in

apartments.


TECHNOLOGY

Santa Ana-based audiovisual systems company Cibola Systems named Tad Lindquist vice president.

Los Angeles-based TelePacific Communi-cations promoted Don Herder to sales manager of the Irvine office.

Ed DiRocco was named senior vice president of worldwide sales for data management company EpiCenter Inc., based in San Clemente. DiRocco has more than 20 years of executive leadership experience in the technology industry.


TRANSPORTATION

Orange County Trans-portation Authority named Laura Teel associate community relations specialist and Andrea West government relations representative. Teel will assist with media relations and public outreach for the Go Local program. West will serve as an OCTA contact with city governments.

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