Semtech Appoints New Treasurer-Acting CEO

Gustav H. D. Franzen, executive vice president for Semtech, a Newbury Park semiconductor manufacturer, will assume the office of treasurer and acting chief executive. He replaces Sidney A. Wales, who resigned last month from his posts as president, chief executive officer and treasurer.

The new chief executive officer will be chosen in several months, company spokesman Wilbur Brown said. Brown said Franzen will be considered for the post.

Frederick A. Gateka, vice president for engineering, will serve as secretary, replacing John Gaffney, who will be leaving at the end of the month, Brown said. Brown would not elaborate on Gaffney’s departure, and Gaffney was unavailable for comment.

The company also has refused to comment on Wales’ departure. Brown said Monday that Wales has moved to Britain. Brown said the departures of Gaffney and Wales are unrelated.

Semtech has been hurt by the slump in the semiconductor and computer industries, but Brown said the reorganization was not related to the downturn in business.

Semtech’s sales for the first quarter ended May 4 were $2,332,000, down 24% from the same period last year. The first-quarter loss grew 67% to $549,000, 30 cents per share.

Robert H. Stratton was hired by Shaeffer Magnetics as vice president and director of systems electronics. The Chatsworth company manufactures electric motors for space flights.

Stratton was president of Applied Digital Systems of Valencia, which makes computer-based interfaces for the oil industry.

The Rocketdyne Division of Rockwell International Corp. has named David A. Little vice president for assurance management. Little will have quality control responsibility for Rocketdyne projects, including construction and maintenance of the Space Shuttle’s main engines, and energy programs related to the Strategic Defense Initiative, or “Star Wars” program.

Little replaces William A. Kirby, who is now director of systems review and the evaluation task team, an internal auditing group.

Little has been with Rockwell since 1982 in the Tulsa plant as director of quality assurance. Before joining Rockwell, he worked at Lockheed facilities in Georgia and in Palmdale.

John C. Bedrosian was elected chairman of the board at Valley State Bank. Bedrosian is a director and senior executive vice president of National Medical Enterprises and is a past president of the Federation of American Hospitals.

Bank of America named Karen Schroeder vice president and credit administrator for Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. Schroeder has been vice president and manager of the Sherman Oaks branch since 1983.

Bob Passailaigue has been appointed branch manager for the County Savings Bank in Thousand Oaks. Passailaigue was manager of Crocker Bank’s Ventura office before moving to County Savings. Jeanne Elliot, who was Thousand Oaks branch manager, will be an investment officer for the bank in Camarillo.

Marriott Hotels & Resorts announced the appointment of Jon Q. Loeb as general manager of the Warner Center Marriott, a 470-room hotel scheduled to open in January. Eric Otto was named director of marketing for the new hotel.

Loeb previously was vice president and general sales manager for Marriott Hotels & Resorts. Otto was director of marketing for the Houston Marriott-Greenpoint. Both live in Woodland Hills.

Pat D. O’Brien of Burbank was named manager of Bank of America’s Agoura branch, the bank announced. She joined Bank of America 10 years ago as a teller in Chatsworth. Her most recent post was manager of the Victory-Platt branch in Canoga Park.

Warner Center Bank named two additional vice presidents: Dennis Aten, vice president for Small Business Administration loans, and Phillip Ruble, vice president for commercial loans. Aten, a Simi Valley resident, was a senior loan specialist for the U.S. Small Business Administration in Los Angeles. Ruble, of Woodland Hills, was president of Geronimo Service Co., and before that was a vice president for commercial lending at Wells Fargo Bank.