Investment Firms
Michael Kennison has been named vice president of acquisitions at Los Angeles-based R&B; Investment Co. Kennison will focus on acquiring commercial, industrial and apartment buildings. He will also pursue turnkey institutional deals for the company and its clients.
The Sigmond Co. has named Stephen R. Trella Jr. chief financial officer. Trella will handle its day-to-day operations, analysis of acquisitions and evaluation of project financing. The newly formed company, based in Costa Mesa, is involved in asset management and real estate investment, and it specializes in the development of new industrial/commercial properties in the Southland and Nevada.
Consultants
Frederick Russell Brown & Associates in Sherman Oaks has announced the addition of Magdy A. Francis as vice president and chief electrical engineer. The consulting firm specializes in electrical and mechanical engineering, providing design for commercial, tenant improvements, government and industrial projects.
Planners
Darrell W. Gentry has joined the Lightfoot Planning Group as vice president of planning. The company provides services in land use planning, site design, landscape architecture and public agency planning in the Southland. It has offices in Oceanside and Rancho California.
Architects
Hellmuth Obata & Kassabaum of Los Angeles has promoted Dennis R. Cramer to vice president. The firm is a multidisciplinary design organization of architects, engineers, planners, facility programmers as well as interior designers and landscape architects.
Kurt William Mueller has been named senior design architect for Hastings Lundstrom Architects Inc., an Irvine-based firm specializing in commercial, industrial and retail projects.
Arechaederra/Hong/Treiman/Architects Inc., a Santa Monica-based firm, has promoted William Christopher to principal. In addition to his role in project management, Christopher will be the firm’s lead planner.
ACCOLADES: Richard Paul Buss, executive vice president of Oliver McMillian in San Diego, has been honored by the California Council of the American Institute of Architects as a recipient of its public service award. Buss has been recognized for his efforts in the replanning of San Diego’s Center City and his contributions towards solving San Diego’s growth issues.
Builders/Developers
Los Angeles-based Kaufman & Broad Home Corp., has promoted Debra L. Bernard to vice president of marketing. Bernard will continue to oversee statewide marketing, public relations and advertising strategies, including consumer advertising campaigns.
Watt Homes Inc. has announced the promotions of Greg Gipe to director and Don Johnson to director of customer service and the addition of Fay Gentile to its staff as manager of land acquisition. The company, headquartered in Torrance, is a division of Watt Enterprises.
Two new positions have been filled at J. M. Peters Co.’s San Diego division: Ernest R. Harrington, director of forward planning and F. Allen Guisti as project manager. Harrington will be in charge of governmental processing, consultant hiring and coordination, and project improvements from raw land to the graded pad stage.
George A. Finlay has been named Southern California sales and merchandising director for the Lusk Co. Headquartered in Irvine, the firm maintains six divisions in Southern and Northern California and Hawaii. Its activities include commercial, industrial and residential development.
A new director of sales and marketing has been named at Continental Communities of Woodland Hills: Philip R. Clements. He will assume marketing coordination responsibilities for all its projects in the Southland, including Hidden Hills Country Estates in Hidden Hills. The firm has also appointed Marilyn Budner as its new residential project manager. She will oversee contract negotiations as well as the custom finishing of all residential projects.
Jack Custer will oversee the marketing and sales activities of the Richard Grant Corp. of Laguna Nigel as its new director. Custer will market the company’s home developments in the gated communities of Marbella Golf and Country Club, Bear Brand Ranch, Laguna Sur, Monarch Beach and Latern Bay.
Caryl S. Foster has been named senior project manager of the newly formed recreational land development firm, Dartmouth Development Co. Foster will be responsible for identifying potential properties throughout California as well as conducting and preparing financial and market feasibility studies on the its projects.
The Baldwin Co. has appointed James M. Harter project manager for its Salt Creek Ranch and Dennery Ranch projects in the south San Diego County area of Chula Vista and Otay Mesa, respectively.
ACCOLADES: Richard S. Ziman has been elected the new chairman of the board of directors of the City of Hope. Ziman is managing partner of Pacific Financial Group, a diversified real estate investment and development firm headquartered in Beverly Hills.
Marketing Firms
Wayne Wedeking has moved up to vice president/land division for the Inland Empire office of San Diego-based Developers Marketing Associates. Wedeking will supervise its land acquisition department, which seeks suitable properties for the firm’s builder clients in the area.
ACCOLADES: Birdie Francis, vice president of sales and marketing for Glenfed Development Corp. in Encino, has been honored as “Sales Manager of the Year” by the Sales & Marketing Council. A subsidiary of the Building Industry Assn., the council presents the award for excellence in the management of residential sales personnel.
Property Managers
Tishman Speyer Properties has appointed Lynn Parsons manager. Parsons will coordinate the marketing efforts for the international firm’s Los Angeles area property holdings.
Matthew W. DeVoll has been named marketing representative for Trammell Crow Co.’s Orange County retail division. DeVoll will handle the leasing of retail properties in that area, concentrating on Centre on the Park in La Mirada, Plaza on the Boulevard in Stanton and Anaheim Hills Festival in Anaheim Hills.
Land Planners
R. Dale Harvey Jr. has been named president of San Diego-based VTN Southwest Inc. The firm provides all phases of land planning, civil engineering, surveying, construction assistance and project management.
Interior Designers
Cole Martinez Curtis & Associates has announced the naming of Stephen Catterall as its new vice president. Catterall will continue to manage the firm’s downtown Los Angeles office. The Marina del Rey-based company specializes in commercial, hotel/resort and retail design.
Brokers
Broker partners Marilyn Nelson and Rose Borne have returned to Stan Herman & Associates in Beverly Hills. Nelson has rejoined the firm as executive vice president and Borne as office manager.
ACCOLADES: The Beverly Hills Board of Realtors has named Billie Davis as the 1989 Affiliate of the Year. Davis has been with City National Bank in Beverly Hills for 19 years and is vice president and manager of the escrow department. The award is presented for outstanding achievement in the fields of ethics, integrity, cooperation, board activity and professional stature.
Finance Firms
Dana Pedersen Pelsone has been promoted to vice president in Wells Fargo Bank’s Beverly Hills Real Estate Industries Group office where she is loan administration manager.
