SFV newsmakers

Advertising Bridget Seyler has joined Westlake Village-based Wiley & Associates as director of account services. Prior to joining, Seyler was a management supervisor at Mendelsohn/Zien. Christine West has been appointed director of new business at Woodland Hills-based Mikell & Co. Her responsibilities will include new business development and account management. Most recently, West was director of new business at a Ventura County advertising agency. Entertainment Adam Fogelson has been appointed to the newly created position of vice president of creative advertising at Universal Pictures. He will be involved in developing creative advertising campaigns, overseeing both print and audio-visual efforts. Previously, Fogelson served as senior vice president of worldwide marketing for Trimark Pictures. Michael Lang has been promoted to vice president of business development, marketing and sales for Burbank-based DisneyQuest. His new responsibilities will include overseeing the marketing and sales teams. Lang joined Disney in 1992 as a member of the corporate strategic planning department. Steven Gary Saltman and Robert K. Cambridge have assumed the positions of president and executive vice president, respectively, of the newly formed Ablaze Entertainment. The Encino-based talent agency will specialize in television packaging and distribution with an emphasis on producers and on-air talent. Most recently, Saltman headed Saltman Telecommunications Associates, and Cambridge headed the Cambridge Media Group. Vic Vargo has been named chief operating officer and executive vice president of North Hollywood-based Netter Digital Entertainment Inc.’s Videssence subsidiary. He will assume Videssence’s day-to-day operating responsibilities. Prior to joining, Vargo served in various management positions with Qualitec Technologies Inc. Health Care Richard J. Buckles has been appointed vice president of organizational development and training, human resources at the Woodland Hills office of WellPoint Health Networks Inc. Most recently, he was chief learning officer and manager at Edison International. Lorraine Salvatore(PIC LA NEWSMAKERS 10/26) has been promoted to vice president of network development and management and specialty networks for Woodland Hills-based Blue Cross of California. Her responsibilities include contracting and servicing statewide networks for ancillary providers. Previously, Salvatore served as assistant vice president of provider relations and director of corporate development for Blue Shield of California. High-Tech Cliff Johnson has been named executive vice president and chief operating officer of Coyote Technologies, headquartered in Westlake Village, a division of Coyote Network Systems Inc. He will be responsible for the division’s day-to-day operations, and will work with CNS Inc.’s leaders on the company’s vision and strategic direction. Johnson joined the company in 1997 as vice president of engineering. Peter Shapiro has been named vice president of human resources at the Van Nuys office of Electro Rent Corp. His responsibilities will include operations in all company offices in North America and will extend to analyzing and developing Electro Rent’s benefits program. Prior to joining the company, Shapiro was first vice president of human resources and administration for Bateman, Eichler, Hill and Richards. Joe Shea(PIC LANEWSMAKERS 11-2) has joined the Woodland Hills office of Mainsaver as vice president of sales. His responsibilities will include augmenting and motivating the company’s sales force. Prior to joining, he was president of Shea & Associates Consulting. Alex Wijnen has been named president of Chatsworth-based Clifford Electronics. His primary task will be to further accelerate the company’s position in the marketplace. Most recently, Wijnen was president and CEO of Vivitar. Personnel Tracy Dockery has joined the Woodland Hills office of Accountemps as a staffing manager. Her responsibilities include client consultation, job-fair recruitment and candidate placement. Most recently, Dockery was account supervisor at a Los Angles-based digital effects company. Tammy Kathol has been promoted to branch manager of the Woodland Hills office of Robert Half International. She will be overseeing the Officeteam and Accountemps divisions for RHI. Most recently, Kathol was division director for Accountemps.