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Saturday, Apr 11, 2026

PEOPLE



Compiled by Roberta Boginis

ACCOUNTING

Ronald Blue & Co./Balser Horowitz in Santa Ana promoted Michael T. Peters to managing director. Peters was partner at Balser, Horowitz, Frank & Wakeling in Costa Mesa before the firm joined with Ronald Blue & Co. in 2000, when he became principal at the new firm.

John M. Wyson was added as corporate tax partner at Irvine-based Haskell & White LLP. Wyson comes from Deloitte & Touche LLP, where he served for 12 years.

ARCHITECTURE

Pasadena-based MCG Architects Inc. hired Mark Goode as job captain at its Irvine office. Goode is working on the Hikkari Restaurant project in Murrieta.

Eric Kaelble was promoted to job captain at the Anaheim office of Petaluma-based RHL Design Group Inc. Kaelble joined the firm in 2001.

EDUCATION

Chapman University named Lynne Pierson Doti to the newly established David and Sandra Stone Professorship in Economics at Argyros School of Business and Economics.

Steven Murray was appointed as dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at California State University, Fullerton. Murray succeeds Kolf Jayaweera, who is retiring after 15 years as dean.

EMPLOYMENT

Debbie Reames, cofounder of Yorba Linda-based Britstan Technology, was named president in addition to her current position as managing director. The firm specializes in technology recruitment.

HEALTHCARE

Louis J. Lavigne Jr. was appointed to the board of Irvine-based Allergan Inc. Prior to his retirement in March, Lavigne served as executive vice president and chief financial officer of Genentech Inc. He currently serves on the boards of Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc., BMC Software Inc., Kyphon Inc. and LifeMasters Supported SelfCare Inc.

HOTELS

The St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort & Spa in Dana Point named Valory Reed director of Spa Gaucin at the resort.

LAW

M. Peter Crinella became a member at Rus, Miliband & Smith LLP in Irvine, which specializes in commercial litigation and corporate reorganization and bankruptcy.

MANUFACTURING

Degussa Corp., a unit of Germany’s Degussa AG, promoted Craig Vail from Western sales manager of the fine chemicals business unit to regional sales manager for the company’s aerosil and silanes business unit. Vail will work from his home office in Orange.

MARKETING

Iacunato/mclane in Irvine added Gayle Griffithe as director of public relations. Griffithe formerly was with Prescription Solutions, PacifiCare Health Systems Inc.’s pharmacy unit.

Jeffrey Moore was hired as vice president and executive creative director at Irvine-based DevicePharm LLC, which serves the medical device and drug industries.

NONPROFIT

Costa Mesa’s Mind Institute elected Ellie Gordon, a supporter of the arts, to its board.

REAL ESTATE

Santa Ana-based First American Corp. promoted Jodee L. Barnett from national procurement director at its subsidiary, First American Title Insurance Co., to vice president of national procurement at the corporate level.

Irvine-based R.D. Olson Construction promoted Tim Cromwell from director of business development to vice president of business development.

Jaime DeJong joined Irvine-based Keystone Pacific Property Management Inc. as activities director of the Crystal Cove Community Association in Newport Beach.

Aliso Viejo-based Merit Cos. appointed Gail Deutsch as vice president of human resources. Deutsch most recently served as director of human resources at Trojan Battery Co.

Denise Hatch became chief financial officer at Irvine-based Empire Homes. Hatch formerly was credit analyst and systems administrator at Housing Capital Co. in Costa Mesa.

Laguna Woods-based Highpointe Communities Inc. promoted cofounder Steven Ludwig from senior vice president of operations to executive vice president. Kraig Kilger, former real estate partner with Costa Mesa law firm Rutan & Tucker LLP, was named senior vice president.

TECHNOLOGY

Irvine-based Portellus Inc. hired Joe Bowerbank as marketing director and David Vaughn as business development manager. The company provides software for the mortgage banking and insurance industries.

Max Harris was appointed as executive vice president at Tustin-based NextAce Corp., which provides software and services to the title insurance and mortgage lender industries. Harris most recently served as president of REIData, a unit of Stewart Information Services Corp.

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