Ritchie Fills Huntington Post

Robert C. Ritchie, professor of history at UC San Diego, has been appointed the first W. M. Keck Foundation Director of Research at the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens. The research chair was established by a $1.5-million grant from the Los Angeles-based Keck Foundation.

Ritchie, whose move to the Huntington is effective July 1, graduated with a degree in history from Occidental College and received his Ph.D. from UCLA. He currently is director of UC San Diego’s California History Project Institute, which trains classroom teachers in history instruction for elementary and secondary students. He also serves on the council for the Institute of Early American History and Culture at Colonial Williamsburg.

As head of research and education at the Huntington, he will oversee an endowed research program valued at $8.4 million and a fellowship program that awards 100 grants annually to history, literature and art scholars. He will also be responsible for a publishing department that produces a scholarly journal and several books each year and an educational program that serves 25,000 schoolchildren annually.

Kenneth B. Takeda of West Covina, a former executive with the Orange County Transit District, has been appointed to the new post of general services officer at the Housing Authority of the city of Los Angeles.

Takeda will oversee purchasing, contracting, facilities management, records management, inventory management, print-shop and air-quality program operations.

He served in Orange County from 1985 to 1991 as contracts administrator, supervisor of administration and manager of the Commuter Network. He also was a contract manager with Cardinal Management Associates in Los Angeles.

Takeda graduated from UCLA, where he earned a master’s degree in public administration.

Denny Gambill of Claremont has been elected chairman of the Foundation at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, filling the unexpired term of David DeYoung, who has moved from the area.

Gambill is owner of the Claremont-based Gambill Co., a student financial aid consulting firm that serves colleges and universities throughout Southern California. Prior to founding the company in 1983, Gambill was associate dean of Financial Aid and Admission at Claremont McKenna and Harvey Mudd colleges.

He is a member of the California and Western Assns. of Student Financial Aid Administrators and treasurer of the Claremont Community Foundation.

Charles L. Sismondo of Diamond Bar has advanced to the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank in Boy Scouting. Sismondo, a member of Troop 737 in the Sunset District of the Old Baldy Council, built a fine arts gallery in the multipurpose room at Quail Summit Elementary School in Diamond Bar to display student art work.

The project involved constructing and mounting 30 oak frames in the room and holding a carwash to raise funds for materials. Sismondo organized the efforts of 17 Scouts and 12 adults who contributed 245 hours of work on the project and fund-raiser.

Sismondo, a senior at Diamond Bar High School, is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Sismondo.

Xiomara Galindo, a producer/writer/director at KTLA, recently started a new job as executive producer for West Covina Community Television, Cencom Cable Channel 56. She will be working with Mt. San Antonio College students and is responsible for overseeing community and local programming, planning programs, handling the station budget, and serving as a liaison between Mt. SAC and the city of West Covina.

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