BANKING
Comerica Bank hired Rocky Bandzeladze as senior vice president and regional manager for retail banking in its Costa Mesa office. Bandzeladze previously was a district manager for Wells Fargo Financial, part of Wells Fargo & Co., in Los Angeles.
EDUCATION
Jonathan Glater has joined University of California, Irvine School of Law as interim director of academic support. Glater previously was a New York Times reporter and a lawyer on Wall Street. He will be teaching courses on writing.
UC Irvine Extension added Joe Dada to its advisory board for the sustainable buildings, energy efficiency and renewable energy studies program. The program educates businesses on how environmentalism can be applied to businesses. Dada is chief executive of Irvine-based SmartLabs Inc.
GOVERNMENT
The Municipal Water District of Orange County in Fountain Valley elected Joan Finnegan as president and Jeffrey Thomas as vice president of its board. Finnegan has served on the board for nine years and is also on the Orange County Water Task Force Committee. Thomas is a former member of the Tustin City Council and three-time mayor.
HEALTH
United HealthCare Services Inc., part of UnitedHealth Group Inc., named Sandra Nichols chief medical officer of the west region in Cypress. Nichols previously was the national medical director of clinical performance for AmeriChoice, which also is part of UnitedHealth Group.
HOTELS
Newport Beach-based Balboa Bay Club & Resort named Terri Reid as executive director of sales and marketing. Reid previously was director of sales and marketing at the Island Hotel in Newport Beach. She has over 26 years in the hospitality and travel industry and serves on the board for Newport Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau.
LAW
Jeff Augustini has joined Irvine-based Gordee, Nowicki & Arnold LLP as a partner. The firm changed its name to Gordee, Nowicki & Augustini LLP to reflect the addition. Augustini previously worked at Irvine-based Finlayson, Augustini & Williams LLP and Los Angeles-based Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP. He represents clients in business litigation.
Newport Beach-based Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth hired Joseph Mellema and Eve Brackmann as associates. Mellema previously was an associate at Christie Parker & Hale LLP in Pasadena. Brackmann previously was an associate at Irvine-based Dorsey & Whitney LLP. The firm also hired Justin Hughes, Margaret Karakashian, and Jeff Plumer as associates after earning their law degrees last year.
Irvine-based Law Offices of Stephen Jay Kaufman, a family law practice, hired Rachael Atamian as an associate. Atamian joins the firm after previously being a client several years ago.
NONPROFIT
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County elected Scott Green to its board. Green is the chief executive and cofounder of Irvine-based StrataCare, which makes software for the workers’ compensation industry. He is involved in the Orange County Community Foundation and St. Mark Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach. Navin Narang also was added to the board.
Santa Ana-based Easter Seals Southern California added Peter Wingert to its board as parent representative and program committee member. Easter Seals helps people with disabilities by providing them with opportunities for employment, helping them live independently and offering other services. Wingert is general manager at Los Angeles-based American Waste Unlimited.
Diana Todaro was elected to the board of Long Beach-based Special Olympics of Southern California. Todaro will be working with the Tustin location as well as all other Southern California locations. She is the regional director for Strategic Academic Alliances in Southern California for Arizona-based Apollo Group Inc., the parent company of University of Phoenix Inc.
REAL ESTATE
First American Corp. in Santa Ana named Craig Barberio as director of investor relations for the company’s financial services group. David Bigelow also was named vice president of investor relations for the information solutions group. Barberio will be responsible for managing investor communication and Bigelow will be responsible for marketing and corporate communication.
Andrew Bermudez was promoted to senior vice president at Lee & Associates Inc.-Irvine. Bermudez previously oversaw the company’s building solutions group, which uses technology and social media to increase business and clients.
Voit Real Estate Services hired Ryan Moore as a senior associate in its Anaheim office. Moore will focus on the Corona and Chino areas. He previously worked at Lee & Associates-Irvine.
RESTAURANTS
Jonathan Rogan returned to Costa Mesa-based El Pollo Loco Inc. as executive chef. Previously, he was manager of culinary development. He will be based out of the restaurant chain’s test kitchen in Orange. Prior to joining El Pollo Loco again, he was director of research and development for Baja Fresh Mexican Grill, operated by Anaheim-based RD Restaurant Group Inc.
