The University of California-Irvine opened a Center for Critical Korean Studies with a grant of about $850,000 from the Academy of Korean Studies in Seongnam, South Korea. Professor of East Asian languages and literatures Kyung Hyun Kim will lead the center, which will develop interdisciplinary programs, provide research grants for books and essays, hire postdoctoral students in critical Korean studies, and invite scholars to share research about Korea.
First Foundation Inc. in Irvine filed a shelf registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission to sell up to $200 million in shares. The filing is inactive, and no share price for it had been set. The bank traded recently at a $448 million market cap on 16.3 million shares outstanding. “The universal shelf registration statement provides flexibility in raising funds when needed in the future,” Chief Executive Scott Kavanaugh said.
Pacific Premier Bancorp Inc. in Irvine will acquire Heritage Oaks Bancorp in Paso Robles in an equity deal worth about $405.6 million and expected to close in the second quarter of 2017. The bank said the buy will increase pro forma assets to approximately $6 billion. Heritage Oaks had $2 billion in assets, $1.3 billion in gross loans and $1.6 billion in deposits as of Sept. 30.
Global Genes in Aliso Viejo expanded its board from eight members to 11 with the additions of Wendy White, Natalie Douglas, and Nauman Shah; White, senior vice president of rare diseases at Dohmen Life Science Services in Milwaukee, Wisc., was named chairman, and Douglas, chief executive of Healthcare at Home near Nottingham, England, was named vice chairman. Shah is a vice president at Johnson & Johnson in New Brunswick, N.J. Global Genes founder and Chief Executive Nicole Boice relinquished the chairmanship but remains on the board. The nonprofit needed “expanded guidance and expertise,” she said.
Liquidmetal Technologies Inc. in Rancho Santa Margarita named Yeung Tak Lugee Li president and chief executive. He succeeds Thomas Stiepp, who resigned from both roles on Nov. 17 and will be an outside adviser through February. The change comes nine months after Yeung joined the board and agreed to invest up to $63 million in the maker of alloys used in medical devices and consumer electronics.
Taco Bell Corp. in Irvine plans to more than double its restaurants in Spain with 45 new units in three to five years through franchisee Casual Brands Group in Madrid. Casual Brands owns and runs about 30 units in the country as the fast food company’s only outside operator. The companies recently accelerated growth in Spain.
Wienerschnitzel in Irvine named J.R. Galardi executive vice president of the fast food hot dog chain. He’s the son of the late John Galardi, who founded Wienerschnitzel, and Cindy Galardi Culpepper, who’s chief executive. His previous roles included work in branding, administration, and in expanding digital marketing, sports and events sponsorships, and philanthropy. His new position oversees marketing, operations, business development and community relations.
Visit Anaheim arm Sports Anaheim signed deals to add or extend relationships with three national sports governing bodies. USA Badminton will move its national headquarters and training center to Anaheim from Colorado Springs, Colo. Anaheim-based USA Volleyball will move its contract with the city to Sports Anaheim and extend it through the year 2020. Huntington Beach-based USA Water Polo plans to host its 2017 National Junior Olympics and some 2019 tournaments in Anaheim.
JetSuiteX in Irvine plans to start offering public charter flights from Santa Monica Airport in February. It began scheduled, public charter flights from Hollywood Burbank Airport in April and from McClellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad in October. It plans to add scheduled charter flights from John Wayne Airport in January.
