President of Arts Agency

Joseph T. Brooks has been elected president of the Public Corporation for the Arts in Long Beach. He was chosen for a two-year term by the PCA’s 21-member board, and succeeds Elizabeth Wallace. Brooks, a long-time resident of Long Beach and former president of the Long Beach NAACP chapter, is a retired director of the regional office of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. He also has served as chairman of the city’s Human Relations Committee, chairman of the Commission on Economic Opportunities and vice chairman of the Planning Commission. Others elected to the PCA executive board are Lucy Daggett, a professional singer and actress, vice president; Norman Reed, an executive with California Western Financial Corp., secretary; and Rod Ballance, a partner in KBR Investments, treasurer. The Public Corporation for the Arts is an umbrella organization responsible for distributing more than $300,000 annually among more than 80 arts groups in Long Beach.

13 Video Artists Selected

Thirteen artists have been granted free access to the production and post-production equipment at the Long Beach Museum of Art video annex for development and/or completion of innovative video works. Winners of the 1987-88 Artist Access Awards are Stuart Bender, Morgan Thomas, John Arvanites, Nancy Buchanan, Erika Suderburg, David Jacobson, James Seligman, Harry Kipper, Pat Kelley, Cheri Gaulke, Sue Maberry, Kathleen Forrest and Doug Henry. The recipients were selected from more than 40 applications on the basis of project innovation and need.

VFW Auxiliary Honoree

Dona O’Donnell of Norwalk was honored as one of 11 runner-up department presidents of the year during the 74th national convention in New Orleans of the ladies auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Mrs. O’Donnell is a member of Glenn Wood Auxiliary 7138 and has held local, district and state offices within the organization. Her report for 1986-87 included 33,484 auxiliary members in California, $160,096 in contributions to cancer aid and research programs, and at least 75% participation in all other auxiliary programs of patriotism, veteran aid and community service.

Assembly Installs Pastor

The Rev. Kenneth Dobson has been installed as pastor of the First Assembly of God in Paramount. He previously was an associate pastor at the First Assembly of God in San Bernardino. Dobson, 35, has 16 years of ministry experience in the United States, Canada and overseas, including missionary work in India and Europe. Dobson succeeds the Rev. Jerry Seiden, who left Paramount after almost five years to become an associate pastor of a church in San Jose.

Appointee to AIDS Panel

Cerritos resident Eunice Diaz has been appointed to the newly created Los Angeles County Commission on AIDS. She is a Spanish-speaking instructor in health education and earned a master’s degree in that field in 1968 from Loma Linda University School of Public Health. She is employed at White Memorial Hospital Medical Center in Los Angeles.

7 Earn Nursing Degrees

Seven licensed vocational nurses from the Southeast area have graduated from a career advancement program developed by Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Bellflower and Cerritos College in Norwalk. After at least one year of full-time experience and earning an associate nursing degree from the college, the women are eligible to take the state examination for a registered nursing license. They are Beth Anderson, Bonnie Everett and Peggy Salazar of Long Beach; Rogene Bastings and Lucy Williams of Cerritos; Mary Gonzales of Bellflower; and Karen Hurlocker of La Mirada.

Library Helpers Honored

Martha Mandel of Artesia has won the citizen of the year award given by the Los Angeles County Public Library system for donating more than 4,000 hours of service to the Artesia library since 1982. Other county library helpers honored were cousins and high school students Angel and Danny Pinales, who volunteer at the Lynwood library; David Ruiz, a high school student in South Gate who volunteers at the Leland R. Weaver Library in South Gate; and Matthew Walker, a volunteer at the Pico Rivera library.

3 Real Estate Scholarships

The Long Beach District Board of Realtors has awarded scholarships of $1,000 each to three students at California State University, Long Beach. They are Craig Monticone and John Halvorson, real estate finance majors, and Bill Utneamer, incoming president of the CSULB Real Estate Society.

Hospital Employee Praised

Montebello resident Cathy Valdez has been named employee of the quarter at Charter Suburban Hospital in Paramount. She is geriatric secretary in the senior care department.