Newsmakers

Accounting Mel Kohn, managing partner of Kirsch, Kohn & Bridge CPAs in Encino and president of the Los Angeles Business Tax Advisory Committee, has been named California Small Business Advocate of the Year by the California Chamber of Commerce. Health Care The Partners in Care Foundation, Burbank, has given Yoshi Honkawa the 2001 Mathies Award. Honkawa, a health care consultant for Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, recently retired as vice president for government and industry relations for the L.A.-based medical center. The Mathies Award salutes vision and excellence in changing the shape of health care. Human Resources PIHRA-Professionals in Human Resources Association has elected new board officers for 2001. The chair for District 4 (East San Fernando Valley) is Mark Luni, director of resources for Gemini/United Van Lines in North Hollywood. Also elected to the board are Lesley Cornelius, human resources manager for MHN; past district chair Kara Scamardo, Wedbush Morgan Securities; Tami Woody, First Entertainment C.U.; Ronald Scott, Chicago Title Company; Roxanne Roske, United Artists Theatre Circuit; Kathleen Coulson, Wedbush Morgan Securities; Norma Luna-Torres, AltaMed Health Services Corp.; Maureen Palacios, Jorgensen HR; Camille Caiozzo, Resource HR Inc.; Lynn Gleim, Barrington Staffing Services; and Lan Gear. The chair for District 9 is Laurie Owyang, president of Humanasaurus. Barry Best, manager of human resources, Syncor International Corp. in Woodland Hills, has been elected vice chair and past district 9 chair Rochelle Kasten will serve as director. Also elected to the board are Janine Perez, Syncor International Corp.; Alice Yardum-Hunter, Alice Yardum-Hunter Law Corp.; Richard Tasoff, Tasoff & Tasoff; Carol Box, LifeCare Assurance; JoAnne Smith, Drake Beam Morin; Deborah Hildebrand; Rhondda Dayton, Sherman Oaks Hospital & Health Center; Jackie Lothridge and Patricia Shelton, GE Auto Warranty Services; Annabelle Baltierra, Westrec Marinas; Shelley Burbo, RandStad; Nicki Coble and Elizabeth Johnson, Pridestaff; Kimberlyn Paul, Vencor Hospital; Barry Nadell, InfoLink Screening Services Inc.; George Enoch; Michelle Fletcher, Lee Hecht Harrison and Joyce Goodman, Poly-Flow Engineering Inc.; Lisa Stanley, Law Offices of Kristi Weiler Dean; Cecilia Flores, Time Warner Communications; Bette Hall, Waterpik Technologies; Jeanette Goldberg and Karen Martin, Strategies for Human Resources; Natalie Kazden; Sheralee Keowen; Lloyd Loomis, Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal; Steven Zuback, zuback.crc; and John Zabasky, Softex Corp. The chair for District 12 (Santa Clarita & Antelope Valley) is Joanne Hagner, assistant manager for human resources at Six Flags California. Also elected to the board are Todd Ferguson, Child Care Resource Center in Van Nuys; Jenny Roney, city of Santa Clarita; Shari Bisquera, Cogent Light Technologies Inc.; Dena Maloney, Employee Training Institute; Cynthia Rogers, Princess Cruises; Jill Pankratz, Hilton Garden Inn/Valencia; Dan Roleder, Grace Community Church; Deborah Twigg; Kent Haney, The Master’s College; Jackie Hartmann, Deluxe Financial Services; Gay Hull, Corestaff Services; Laura Kincaid, Sage Staffing; and Sonja Wendt, Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Internet/Telecommunications Jim Curran has joined the management team of Westlake Village-based Nomadix as vice president of business development. Allan Woodruff has joined the Internet infrastructure supplier as vice president of worldwide sales. Curran joins Nomadix after serving at Urban Media as vice president in charge of national sales. Woodruff joined Nomadix after holding executive sales and marketing positions at Xylan (Alcatel) and MICOM Systems (Nortel). Publishing Robert S. Miller has been named president of Hyperion, Disney’s book publishing arm. Miller helped Disney establish Hyperion in 1990 and held the title of senior vice president and managing director. Hyperion publishes fiction and non-fiction, primarily for adults. He began his publishing career as editorial assistant at St. Martin’s Press, became a senior editor at Warner Books and later was a vice president at Dell Publishing and editorial director of Delacorte Press. He is currently chairman of the Association of American Publishers. Real Estate Grubb & Ellis Company recently announced the following three promotions: Bert Abel, a retail specialist with the company, has been promoted to vice president. Prior to joining Grubb & Ellis, he was a vice president with McDonald’s Inc. supervising various overseas and domestic markets. Ray Bayat and Mitch Bayat, also retail specialists, have each been promoted to associate vice president. Ray Bayat has been with Grubb & Ellis for three years and, prior to joining the company, was leasing manager for Newhall Land. He has 10 years of commercial real estate experience. Mitch Bayat has more than 20 years commercial real estate experience and includes Pacific Bell and 99-Cent Only Stores as clients. Sales/Marketing Tori Robinson has been promoted to vice president of sales and marketing for the Los Angeles County commercial department of Old Republic Title Co. She will be responsible for expanding the client base throughout the county. Robinson has been with Old Republic since 1989, serving most recently as senior commercial account executive.