Promotions and Appointments

The Merit Companies promoted Kelli Knott. Wilkin Guge Marketing made four new hires. Rabbi Kalman Winnick has been named director of spiritual life at the Los Angeles Jewish Home for the Aging. TriZetto Group named Gene Drabinski president of its cost unit. Former SBA head Hector Barreto joined eAgency’s board. Nabil Nouri was named to the Veterinary Diagnostics board.

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The Merit Companies, California’s leading provider of professional community association management services, announced today that Kelli Knott, CCAM has been promoted to Vice President of Urban Management. Knott will lead Merit’s urban division to meet the complex needs of California’s increasing number of mid- and high-rise developments throughout the state. She will be responsible for the oversight of urban communities managed by Merit in the state of California, including supervision, recruitment, growth, training and retention of mid- and high-rise staff.

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Claremont-based Wilkin Guge Marketing reported it has hired Brand Resource Director Chad Muhr, Media Strategist Shannon Carlson, Finance & Operations Director Mike Disbrow and Interactive Marketing Manager Joseph Servia. The addition of Carlson and Servia adds in-house media and interactive departments to the agency, the largest marketing firm in the Inland Empire.

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Rabbi Kalman Winnick has been named director of spiritual life at the Los Angeles Jewish Home for the Aging -- the largest single-source provider of senior housing in Los Angeles. Rabbi Winnick comes to the Home from Vitas Innovative Hospice in Encino, California. Prior to that he was Chaplain/Rabbi at UCLA Medical Center providing counseling and support to patients and their families as part of a multi-faith pastoral care team from 1997-2004.

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Newport Beach-based TriZetto Group Inc. (Nasdaq: TZIX) today announced the appointment of Gene Drabinski as president of its Cost & Quality of Care business unit. Drabinski will oversee TriZetto’s care management products and services, which help health plans better manage medical costs while delivering the highest quality care.

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eAgency Systems, a creator of customer relationship management software, announced Hector Barreto, former director of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), has joined its board of directors.

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Veterinary Diagnostics Institute, Inc., a specialty diagnostics laboratory services provider for companion animals, today announced that Nabil (Bill) J Nouri has been appointed to VDxI’s board of directors.