VALLEY NEWSMAKERS

FEATURED NEWSMAKER: After serving for a dozen years on the advisory board of Westlake Magazine, Rebecca Grossman is taking a greater role in the publication’s creative side. As the new publisher of the magazine, Grossman is doing a makeover of sorts with the hiring of a new editor in chief, art director and the addition of correspondents covering medicine, entertainment and celebrities. “We have so many interested people who live in the community who kind of enjoy writing as much as I do,” Grossman said. “It is not about the money. It is about the creative process.” Westlake Magazine publishes six times a year with the November/December issue the first with the new creative team. Grossman bought the assets of the magazine from its founder, M. Dayle Thomas. Grossman has long been involved with philanthropic activities, such as heading the Grossman Burn Foundation. Her husband Peter Grossman heads the world-renowned Grossman Burn Center, located in West Hills. Taking over a luxury lifestyle magazine as the economy struggles to recover from the recession may seem like a questionable career move but Grossman is confident the readers and advertisers will get on board. For one, the content will concentrate on its coverage area of Calabasas and West Hills into the Conejo Valley and into Malibu. For another, there will be a new media component as well. Advertisers who have been with the magazine over its 19-year history will now be found alongside new, upscale ones catering to the affluent reader. Westlake Magazine will embrace the digital era with an iPad version and mobile app version while still making for a beautiful coffee table centerpiece, Grossman said. The magazine will have a cover on both the front and back, so whichever way it gets placed a potential reader will see a cover and the magazine’s name. For Grossman, becoming publisher is not a get-rich-quick scheme but one in which she is happy with breaking even and being able to compensate her staff as well as informing readers of what is happening where they live. “We really put a lot into how it is going to look,” Grossman said. “When you look at the magazine we wanted to inspire people to pick it up.” – Mark R. Madler Accounting Accounting and consulting firm CNM LLP, has selected Steve Asamoto to lead its Information Technology practice. Asamoto has more than 15 years of experience in public accounting and prior to joining CNM, he was a senior manager in BDO USA LLP’s IT practice. Asamoto is a graduate of California State University Long Beach and is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Internal Auditor and a Certified Information Systems Auditor. Aerospace Northrop Grumman Corporation has appointed Susan Sloan as vice president of the Space Systems business area within the company’s Navigation Systems Division. In her new position, Sloan will be responsible for overall leadership of the division’s inertial measurement unit programs and products for space applications, including Northrop Grumman’s industry-leading Scalable Space Inertial Reference Unit (Scalable SIRU(TM)). Sloan brings over 30 years of experience in high-technology product development, production, business operations, program management, systems engineering, mission assurance and strategic planning to her new role. Prior to joining Northrop Grumman, she was program manager for Intelsat (International Telecommunications Satellite Organization) in Cannes, France; division director of Operations and Product Manufacturing at Boeing Satellite Systems; and senior director, Space Systems Operations, and vice president of Mission Assurance, Quality and Program Leadership, Space and Airborne Systems Division for the Raytheon Company in El Segundo. Most recently, she led a start-up aviation business as president and CEO. Apparel Outdoor clothing developer, Gramicci, has hired design industry expert James Sowins as director of design. Sowins will work to add new technical programs and further refine Gramicci’s Natural Performance Technology collection. He is an award winning designer, having worked with Kitson Apparel as the chief merchandising officer apparel, and most recently vice president and creative director of The LBH Group. The clothing company has also promoted Paul Cronin as vice president sales director, managing all US and international sales groups. Cronin brings a combined 23-year experience in sales and apparel merchandising. He has worked as vice president at Marithe’ & François Girbaud, vice president sales at Ecko Unlimited/Marc Ecko Enterprises, corporate merchandise manager menswear at Macy’s Merchandising Group, and vice president sales at Perry Ellis. At Gramicci, Cronin will oversee all domestic and international accounts. Awards Samuel Paisley, a business consultant and investor from Thousand Oaks, was honored by Washington & Jefferson College as Entrepreneur of the Year at its recent Entrepreneurial Leadership Dinner in Pittsburgh. Paisley most recently served as chief financial officer at Razorgator, Inc., a developer of online ticket exchanges and ticket management technology platforms for Fortune 100 companies. Previously, he was chief administrative officer for online marketing company ValueClick. There, he led the corporate development program and helped orchestrate the company’s 14 acquisitions in the United States, Europe, and China. Banking Union Bank, N.A. has hired Matthew W. Benson as a regional director, where he’ll be responsible for developing and managing relationships with high net worth clients, business owners and executives. From his base in Woodland Hills at Warner Center, Benson will oversee the region spanning from the San Fernando Valley and Westlake Village markets to Santa Barbara. Most recently, Benson was vice president and private client advisor at City National Bank where he was responsible for client relationship management, business development and investment management. Prior to that, Benson was vice president and trust consultant at U.S.Trust. Benson started his career in private banking at Wells Fargo Private Bank. Boston Private Financial Holdings, Inc. announced the appointment of V. Charles Jackson as the chief executive officer of the West Coast Private Banking Group effective January 1, 2011. Jackson is currently the chief executive officer and president of First Private Bank & Trust, the Company’s Southern California affiliate, which has branches in Burbank, Encino and Granada Hills. Jackson will continue in his current position while assuming broader oversight responsibilities for all of the West Coast banks. Before joining First Private, Jackson was president and CEO of Community Bank, based in Pasadena. Earlier in his career, Jackson held senior executive positions with Lipper & Co., Mellon Bank and Chase Manhattan Bank. Jackson will also become a member of the boards of directors at both Charter Private and Borel. Education Granada Hills Charter High School, an independent public school and the largest charter school in the nation has appointed Maribel De La Torre to the newly created position of Development Director. In her role, De La Torre will work to foster and create corporate, financial, business and educational partnerships on behalf of the high school. De La Torre currently serves as a three-term City Councilmember in the City of San Fernando and as an executive board member of The Valley Economic Alliance. Online Marketing Online forum company CrowdGather, re-elected Sanjay Sabnani, Chuck Timpe, Jonathan R. Dariyanani and James A. Sacks to the company’s Board of Directors during its annual shareholders meeting. The Woodland Hills-based company also ratified the selection of Q Accountancy Corporation as the company’s independent registered public accounting firm. MediaPoint Network has promoted Rick Sax to senior vice president of Affiliate Relations and Development. MediaPoint Network is the pay-per-performance unit of the Inter/Media Group of Companies, a $500 million marketing and media organization. Sax has been with the company for three years and has helped grow MediaPoint Network’s stable of media partners and affiliates nationwide. In his new role, Sax will continue to expand MediaPoint Network’s affiliate partners and distribution channels. Along with CEO Robert Yallen, Sax will also continue to develop creative new network offerings. Real Estate Hager Pacific Properties, a privately owned real estate investment firm with offices in Encino, has added Jason Schirn to the firm as a Principal. He will be responsible for identifying value-added opportunities for industrial properties and supervising the repositioning of these assets. Schirn began his real estate career in 2001 with Hager Pacific. He served as vice president at Proficiency Capital where he focused on developing and renovating industrial properties. Prior to his real estate career, Schirn produced ESPN’s Cable Emmy Award winning program Up Close Prime Time with Roy Firestone. MPG Office Trust Inc., a Southern California focused real estate investment trust, has appointed David L. Weinstein as president and chief executive officer. Weinstein currently serves as a partner at Belvedere Capital, a real estate investment firm based in New York. Prior to that, he was a Managing Director of Westbridge Investment Group, a real estate investment fund focused on hospitality. Weinstein has served as an independent director on the company’s Board since August 2008 and served as a member of the Audit Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. He also serves on the company’s Finance Committee. Troop Real Estate, Inc has named Paul Gonzalez sales and branch manager for its Santa Clarita office where he will focus on increasing the number of agents and the company’s market share in the region. Gonzales has 28 years of sales and management experience. Prior to joining Troop he was a top producing agent for Realty Executives in Santa Clarita where he served for 10 years. Before that, Gonzales was a manager with a Fortune 500 company for 18 years. Technology Online sampling company uSamp has added John Woolard as chief financial officer. Woolard has held positions as CFO, VP of Finance and controller at companies ranging in size from emerging growth through the Fortune 500. uSamp also promoted Dave Gaston from senior director to regional vice president of survey solutions. He will be assuming responsibilities for assisting revenue growth in a regional capacity. Prior to joining uSamp in 2009, Gaston held positions at Greenfield Online, Yankelovich Partners, and NFO. In another move, uSamp promoted Melanie Courtright from vice president to senior vice president of client services. Her responsibilities include quality initiatives and employee training, with an emphasis on developing new relationships and ensuring the satisfaction of existing clients. uSamp also has doubled the number of sales directors working in its offices throughout the United States.