Things are changing in the upper reaches of the Irvine Co. Real estate bigwig Ray Wirta, who rejoined Koll Co. as CEO last November after running CB Richard Ellis, has come aboard as a consultant with an office on the ninth floor. He’s reviewing operations, talking with managers and reporting to the boss, Donald Bren. Are big changes afoot? Will Wirta get a permanent gig? Opinions vary. Max Gardner has left as president of Irvine Apartment Communities: “This is the perfect time to take a break and consider what I want to do with the rest of my professional life.” The unit’s No. 2, Kevin Baldridge, has assumed Gardner’s duties. Investment Properties Prez Rick Gilchrist is working again after time off for heart surgery. And Pasadena executive search consultant Smooch Repovich Reynolds is new senior veep of corporate communications, the fourth to hold the job in three years …
It was the All-Star Game, not an Angels game, but Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle was in attendance at Angel Stadium for the first time since the legal battle over the team’s “Los Angeles” name change five years ago. He praised the team for hosting the game with the city and described Angel-Anaheim relations as “moving forward.” He seized on the All-Star Game marketing opportunities: Instead of filling the city’s stadium suite with politicians and staffers, Pringle and Anaheim/OC Visitor & Convention Bureau Prez Charles Ahlers entertained reps from major convention groups. The lame-duck Pringle said he was fine with the Angels’ popular Torii Hunter being dubbed “the new mayor of Anaheim.” In fact, Pringle said he’d trade Hunter the job right now if he could take his place in centerfield: “I’d make a thousand times more” …
Between the state’s financial crisis and an on-campus version of the Arab-Israeli conflict, it’s been a challenging academic year for Michael Drake. But UCI’s sunny chancellor sees several bright spots—more faculty honors, higher student scores and a stabilizing budget, not to mention last week’s U.S. News & World Report Top 50 recognition again for UCI Medical Center. In recent months Francisco Ayala won the Templeton Prize, Zachary Fisk was elected to American Philosophical Society and three other profs—Michael Cahalan, Susan Trumbore and Greg Duncan—joined the National Academy of Sciences. Only UC Berkeley placed as many in the Washington, D.C.-based academy (headed, incidentally, by Drake’s predecessor at UCI, Ralph Cicerone). UCI’s incoming freshman class is again A-plus, matching last year’s 4.01 grade point average even with a 12% increase in students. UCI’s budget, which was cut by 22% a year ago to $250 million, is expected to increase a bit (by $8 million to $37 million) for 2010-2011. “We are looking forward to a better year,” Drake says …
Mark Sanchez, New York Jets QB by way of USC and Mission Viejo, is honored (and roasted) by the OC Youth Sports Foundation Thursday at the Newport Beach Marriott. More info at www.ocysf.org.
