PEOPLE – NEWSMAKERS:

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PEOPLE – NEWSMAKERS:

Conor Dougherty

Accounting & Consulting

Sally Papacharalambous has been promoted to division director in the Los Angeles office of RHI Management resources, a consulting firm. She joined the company in 2000 and specializes in audit, business management, tax preparation, financial modeling and analysis within the entertainment industry.

Advertising & P.R.

Steve Friedman has been named vice president of strategic development at eUniverse, an interactive entertainment and marketing network in Los Angeles. Initially, he will be responsible for developing entertainment alliances and syndication deals. Most recently, Friedman served as vice president of business development at Spiderdance Inc.

Armen Grigorian has been promoted to technical director at Studio City, a broadcast marketing agency in Los Angeles. He will oversee the agency’s new graphics division in addition to working with the creative team, designing graphics for client projects including “The X-Files” and “3rd Rock From the Sun.” Grigorian joined the firm in 1998 and most recently served as head of technical services.

Caitlin Dowe-Sandes has been promoted to account director at Magnet Communications in Los Angeles. She previously served as an account supervisor and managed media relations efforts for several lifestyle accounts. Also, Niki Ostin has been promoted to account executive. She joined the firm in November 2000 as an assistant account executive.

Paul Walrad has joined Creative Link Partners Inc., a marketing company in Rolling Hills Estates, as vice president of marketing. He is responsible for the company’s sales and marketing, focusing on current and future clients and will assist in developing a brand image. Most recently, Walrad operated as an independent marketing consultant for clients such as Time Magazine, Toyota Motor Sales and Visual Services.

Architecture

Bruce Campbell has been appointed director at the Los Angeles office of IA, a workplace solutions firm. Most recently, Campbell served as principal at Loring Cruz.

Richard Dachman has been hired as a project architect at Ware Malcomb, an architectural firm in Woodland Hills. He will manage healthcare and biotech manufacturing projects, as well as special use projects such as media facility work and commercial campus renovation projects. Most recently, Dachman was employed by Professional Services Industries Inc., where he worked in facilities management. Susan Alweil has been named senior project manager for the firm’s interior architecture and design group. She will manage a variety of full service interior design, tenant improvement and facilities related projects for the office. Alweil previously worked for Environetics Group as a vice president.

Banking & Finance

Michael Barrack has been hired as first vice president, information systems manager at Community Bank in Pasadena. He is responsible for developing a technology plan to meet the bank’s business goals. Barrack was previously employed by Netzee Inc. in Calabasas.

Gary R. Bechtel has been selected to lead Metrocommercial Capital in Encino, the commercial lending division of Metrociti Mortgage. He will be responsible for expanding the commercial lending division by adding additional loan originators by year-end as well as using technology more effectively to expedite the qualifying and decision making process. Most recently, Bechtel served as director of a large mortgage company.

Education

Kathy Holland Lesley has been hired by the Los Angeles Unified School District as assistant superintendent of secondary instruction. She is currently assistant superintendent for schools in the Pasadena Unified School District where she has held various administrative positions since 1986.

Entertainment

Joel Habbeshaw and Leslie Marquez have been named to new positions at Gold Circle Entertainment, a music label group in Los Angeles. Habbeshaw is serving as vice president, rock formats promotion and marketing. Habbeshaw spent the last seven years as senior director, alternative promotion at Hollywood Records. Marquez is the company’s national director, pop and adult promotion. Marquez previously founded Lick Entertainment, an independent record promotion company that worked on behalf of several major record labels.

Ilyanne Morden Kichaven has been named associate director of communications at the Screen Actors Guild in Los Angeles. She will be responsible for SAG’s media relations and strategy. Kichaven has been consulting in the Guild’s communications department since March 2000.

Sujata Murthy has been promoted to vice president, public relations at Universal Music Enterprises in Santa Monica. In addition to public relations, she is responsible for UME’s corporate imaging and works closely with UMG corporate communications. Murthy has been senior director, public relations since July 1999, heading the department and directing press campaigns of the catalog arm of Universal Music Group.

Health Care

Ken Washenik has been named chief medical officer at Bosley Medical, a hair restoration organization in Beverly Hills. He will lead the firm’s entire physician staff, succeeding L. Lee Bosley, the company’s founder. Washenik is currently the director of the dermatology unit at New York University School of Medicine and will officially join the firm in February 2002.

High Tech

Pedro Morillas, Michael Custer, Rich Jones and Peter Jancourtz have been named to new positions at Chatsworth Products Inc., a manufacturer of cabinet, rack and cable management systems for computer and communications networks in Westlake Village. Morillas, Custer and Jones have been named vice presidents. Morillas is vice president of global sales while Custer is vice president of business development. Jones is serving as vice president of engineering and product development. Jancourtz is serving as director of marketing.

Insurance

Vivian Enriquez has joined Gorst Co. in Glendale, an insurance company specializing in personal and commercial lines of business, as an underwriter. Enriquez previously spent 17 years at Canon Insurance Services.

Non-Profits

Mitch Ellner recently joined the Employers Group, a non-profit human resources management association headquartered in Los Angeles, as a regional manager for Los Angeles. He will be responsible for the newly created region’s growth and operations, giving special emphasis to membership, project consulting and onsite training.

Real Estate

Gennifer Mallard has been appointed director of leasing for the L.A. Mart. She previously served as marketing director for Tooley & Co., a property management firm in Southern California. Also, Jeff Sampson has been named marketing director for home furnishings at the L.A. Mart. Most recently, he served as marketing director for the launch of Total Movie Magazine.

Craig A. Robbins has joined Colliers International, a partnership of commercial real estate firms, as president of financial services. Based in Los Angeles, he will manage Colliers’ institutional services group, including its investment services brokerage, mortgage finance, appraisal and capital markets activities. Most recently, Robbins worked for PropertyFirst.com, as senior vice president of products and services.

Dean Zander has been promoted to associate partner at Hendricks & Partners, a real-estate brokerage and advisory firm in Encino. He specializes exclusively in the sale of apartment buildings within Los Angeles County. Prior to joining the firm in 1999, Zander was a partner at Sperry Van Ness, an investment brokerage firm.

Tourism

Beverly S. Moore has been appointed executive director of the newly formed Marina del Rey Convention & Visitors Bureau. Moore was formerly executive director of Santa Monica Convention & Visitors Bureau.

In Thick of Multi-Family Housing Boom

Though he’s had other careers, real estate seems to fit him best.

Shortly after hitting his $500 million career milestone, Andrew Levant has been promoted to senior vice president at George Smith Partners, a Century City-based commercial mortgage brokerage firm.

Levant said he expects to have generated $230 million in business by the end of the year, 75 percent of which he attributes to the recent wave of refinancing activity. “So many businesses are getting hammered right now,” said Levant. “I happen to be in one that’s flourishing.”

A specialist in multi-family properties, Levant has closed several significant deals this year. He arranged a $19 million condo conversion loan for the acquisition of 53 units in a high rise on Wilshire Blvd.’s Golden Mile, in addition to a $26 million loan on a 186-room extended stay hotel in Beverly Hills. Levant also represented the purchaser of a $25 million, 224-unit waterfront apartment complex in Marina del Rey.

Levant, a Chicago native who received his undergraduate degree from the University of Nevada Las Vegas in 1979, first came to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting. Between 1980 and 1983 he performed in several live theater and TV productions. In 1983 he went back to Chicago and began working in marketing and communications at VMS Realty Partners in Chicago. He came back to Los Angeles to work for J.E. Robert Co., again in a marketing capacity. Levant started his career as a broker in 1987 at Kennedy-Wilson Inc. Prior to joining George Smith Partners, Levant worked as a direct mortgage lender for Finova Realty Capital.

The former golden gloves boxer, Levant has competed in numerous races with his 10 meter sloop, “Freebooter,” which he sails out of Marina del Rey. He lives in Culver City with his wife and two young children.

Conor Dougherty

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