Orange County

Ponderosa Homes, the Irvine-based Southern California home developer had appointed Randal P. Bramel to fill the newly-created position of executive vice president and chief operating officer. Bramel, 38, was previously executive vice presidnt for American Pacific Corp. in Irvine. Aetna Life and Casualty Co. sold its Southern California division of Pondrrosa in June to a group of investors headed by James S. Daily, Ponderosa’s current president. Seperately, Aetna sold Ponderosa’s Northern California division in Aprill to a group of that unit’s executives.