VALLEY NEWSMAKERS

Aerospace Northrop Grumman Corporation announced Granada Hills Charter High School graduate Eric Gobst as the winner of its first annual Engineering Scholars program in the San Fernando Valley. The program provides a $10,000 scholarship to a local high school student interested in pursuing a career in engineering. Gobst will attend the University of Illinois in Champaign, where he will pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. Advertising Online advertising and marketing firm ReachLocal in Woodland Hills added to its executive ranks. Ross Landsbaum has been appointed CFO, and Adam Wergeles as General Counsel. Landsbaum was most recently COO and CFO of MacAndrews & Forbes’ Panavision, and has also served as EVP and CFO for Miramax Films, at Spelling Entertainment Group, as well as Arthur Andersen. Wergeles was most recently Chief Legal Officer for Vendarnetblue/Connexus, and has served at Kaplan’s Concord Law School and quisic Corporation. Banking Kerry Turner, a 29-year banking veteran, has been named senior vice president and manager of City National Bank in the Commercial Banking Services office in Sherman Oaks. Prior to joining City National, Turner was senior vice president and regional manager at East West Bank. Commerce Allen Kessler is the 2008 recipient of the Robert B. Westover Distinguished Service Award by the California Jewelers Association. Kessler has owned a jewelry store in Burbank since 1967. He served as president of CJA from 1993-94 and has held the post of CJA treasurer since 1997. He has been married to his high school sweetheart, Eunice “Uni” Light, for more than 56 years. Education Ryan Van Ommeren has been appointed Interim Vice President for Administration and Finance at California Lutheran University. Van Ommeren came to CLU in 2000 as Director of Facilities. He was promoted in 2006 to Associate Vice President of Facilities Operation and Planning and his responsibilities expanded to include several departments with a combined operating budget of more than $10 million a year. He has shepherded several successful construction projects on the growing Thousand Oaks campus, including the $18 million Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center, $10 million Grace Hall and the $3 million Samuelson Aquatics Center. Entertainment Jamila Hunter has been named by NBC to the newly created position of senior vice president, programming and development, alternative & digital, NBC Entertainment. Hunter, most recently vice president of comedy development for 20th Century Fox Television. She was previously vice president of development and production at Bravo. New Wave Entertainment in Burbank has made changes to its executive ranks. Rick Nowak has been promoted to chief operating officer. He has been with New Wave since 1997. Alan Duke now holds the title of executive vice president, general counsel. He joined New Wave in 2007 and prior to that had been a senior vice president and general counsel at the G4 Network. Greg Woertz has been promoted to executive vice president, chief financial officer. He joined New Wave in 2004 and has been producing and overseeing feature film production since 1991. Lawrence Biggs has been named Chief Executive Officer and President of Stereo Vision Entertainment, Inc effective immediately. He also joins the Board of Directors. Stereo Vision’s former CEO and President, and control shareholder, Jack Honour, has been named Principal Executive Producer over all productions, and has signed a new three-year contract Finance Brian Bowis has been hired as senior producer with Freddie Mac Multifamily. He will be based in the western regional office in Woodland Hills. Bowis previously worked at Meridian Capital in Century City. Insurance Bruce Benton has been elected secretary of the National Association of Health Underwriters Board of Trustees. Benton resides in Woodland Hills with his wife and two children. Law Kevin P. Carter was recently named a partner in the firm of Loewenthal, Hillshafer & Rosen, LLP. Carter joined the firm in 2005. Carter was admitted to practice in 1993 and received a BA from UCLA and UC Davis. Licensing Cherokee Inc. has hired Jay Kester as executive vice president, marketing. He will focus on domestic opportunities for brands the company owns and represents. Manufacturing Martin J. “Marty” Mechsner has joined Industrial Metal Supply Company as the new General Manager and Chief Engineer of its Fabrication Division. Marketing Eric Larson has been appointed as company president of Gumiyo, Inc. He is the former president of 5square Systems, a leading venture capital backed, high growth automotive sales processes system provider. Larson has also held the position of senior vice president and CFO of Nomadix, Inc., a leading suppler to the Wi-Fi public Internet access market. Medical Robin Gibbs has been appointed to the position of vice president of marketing of North American Scientific. Gibbs who was formerly a vice president of global franchise management for Edwards Lifesciences, will lead the marketing team for the company’s growing radiation sources division, including the new ClearPath HDR and CR devices. Gibbs joins North America Scientific from MedX3, LLC, and a marketing and business development firm where she held a principal position. In her career, she has held positions with significant responsibility including roles as vice president of franchise management for a number of different divisions. Gibbs began her career in sales and sales management positions with American Hospital Supply and Baxter Healthcare. Philanthropy David L. Hutton of Granada Hills and Charles D. Schoor of Valley Village have both been re-elected to one year terms on the Muscular Dystrophy Association Board of Directors. Schoor is a partner in the Los Angeles firm of Blue Schoor & Diehl. Hutton is past the president of the Miller Automotive Group. Real Estate Phil Royster has joined Lee & Associates in the newly created position of President of Strategic Growth. Royster will spearhead expansion efforts for the Lee & Associates group of companies, including the identification of growth opportunities and the development and implementation of strategies for new office acquisitions and the formation of new Lee companies across the country. Royster spent the previous 25 years with Grubb & Ellis. Retail Robert Lugari is the new vice president and general manager of Neiman Marcus Topanga, opening in early September.