Newport Systems Picks Chief Financial Officer

Robert E. Grice Jr. has been appointed chief financial officer for Newport Systems Solutions Inc., a new position at the Newport Beach supplier of computer networking products. He was formerly vice president of finance and chief financial officer at Maxa Corp., a software developer. Grice earlier served as director of internal audit at Archive Corp.

* Daniel W. Douglass has joined LG&E; Power Systems, an Irvine electric power and cogeneration facilities company, as senior vice president and general counsel. Before joining the company, he was president of Cook Inlet Energy Supply, a natural gas marketing firm. Douglass has also held legal and senior management positions with Coastal Corp., the Southern California Gas Co. and Pacific Enterprises.

* Kenneth C. Swain has been appointed Western regional sales manager for Cornnuts Inc. Swain, based in Mission Viejo, will direct brokers covering 11 states. Swain was previously with Pinkerton Tobacco Co. He was also Western regional manager for the Amurol division of William Wrigley Jr. Co.

* Malcolm Heath has joined Burlington Air Express in Irvine as managing director, U.S.A. International. Heath was formerly chief operating officer and executive vice president at Lep Profit International Inc.

* Jodi Schwartz has been appointed vice president, mortgage accounting manager, for Commercial Center Bank in Santa Ana. Before joining the bank, she was assistant vice president and manager for CommerceBank’s custodial services department in Newport Beach. Schwartz has also been audit manager with Scott, Bankhead & Co. in Newport Beach and audit manager with Grant Thornton in Irvine.