ORANGE COUNTY NEWSMAKERS

* Gary Dawson has been named vice president of sales for North America at Irvine-based video game maker Interplay Entertainment Corp. He had been senior vice president of manufacturing and production for Chorus Line, an apparel maker in Vernon. He also served as vice president and general manager, Lee Jeanswear for Lee Apparel, a division of the VF Corp., and executive vice president of Ocean Pacific Sportswear.

* Michael L. Abney has joined the Costa Mesa law offices of Drosman, Anapoell & Salis LLP and will serve as of counsel to the firm. Abney practices in the areas of business and real estate litigation.

* Steven M. Speier has been named a partner of Squar Milner, Newport Beach-based accounting and financial service consulting firm. For the last seven years, Speier was president of American Spectrum Real Estate Services, a subsidiary of CGS Real Estate Company Inc. He also served as general partner for numerous limited partnerships.

* Michelle Drilling joins Newport Beach developer and property manager Shaw Industrial Property Services as director of business development, a new position. She most recently worked in office and investment sales at Lee and Associates’ office in the Irvine Spectrum.

* Gay Lyng has been appointed catering sales manager for the Westin South Coast Plaza hotel in Costa Mesa. She has seven years of catering experience in Orange County.