Scot Sandstrom

Richmond American Homes of California Inc., a subsidiary of M.D.C. Holdings Inc., named Scot C. Sandstrom, an 18-year veteran of the industry, as president of the company’s San Diego division. He previously served as a division president for Trimark Pacific Homes. He is the 2005 president of the Building Industry Association of San Diego.

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The Credit Union Executives Society named Michael J. Maslak president and CEO, North Island Credit Union, as its 2005 CUES Executive of the Year. A CUES member for more than 20 years, Maslak has served North Island Credit Union since 1987. Under his guidance, the credit union has grown from $300 million to its present asset size of $1.5 billion and was named one of the Top 25 Medium Sized Companies to Work for in America by the Society of Human Resource Management and the Best Places to Work Institute.

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Jim McPheters

James L. McPheters, president and CEO of California Coast Credit Union based in San Diego, was named California Credit Union League chairman. McPheters joined California Coast Credit Union in 1986 as president and CEO, when it was known as San Diego Teachers’ Credit Union. Before that, he was chief operating officer for a credit union in San Diego for three years, and an 11-year veteran of the NCUA.

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The California Credit Union League presented the Political Professional of the Year award to Rick Haynie, v.p. and general counsel for North Island Credit Union. A long time volunteer, Haynie is actively involved in the credit union movement, particularly in the CCUL’s political action/governmental affairs areas. He recently served on the CCUL’s governmental affairs committee, and currently serves on the league’s political action committee as well as the San Diego Area Credit Union PACs from 1990 through 1996.

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Solomon Ward Seidenwurm & Smith, a San Diego based law firm welcomed William K. (Bill) Koska as a partner. Koska was with Bacalski, Bailey, Koska & Ottoson, where he practiced law since 1995, and served as lead counsel for corporations handling massive tort litigation.

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Chad O’Connor

Marcus & Millichap Capital Corp. promoted Chad O’Connor to associate and transferred him to the firm’s San Diego office. Prior to the promotion, O’Connor worked in MMCC’s Long Beach office as a loan analyst.

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Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear, an intellectual property specialty law firm was joined by Boris Zelkind. He has more than 10 years of experience in national and international IP litigation.

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Jackson Pendo Development, a San Diego-based real estate developer, hired Susan Bowers as a purchasing manager. Bowers, who grew up in La Mesa where Jackson Pendo is headquartered, will coordinate with the various trade contractors in competitive bids to ensure quality built homes. She formerly served as a purchasing agent for Pacific Bay Homes, where she worked with Liz Jackson, president of Jackson Pendo Development. Bowers most recently was with John Laing Homes.

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Equastone (formerly Equus Realty Advisors), a real estate investment firm, named Ron Lack executive v.p. Lack has 17 years of experience including asset management of 1.5 million square feet of office, industrial and retail properties. Most recently, Lack was v.p. of asset management for WCB Properties.

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Cell Bio-Systems Inc., a developer of medical devices, named Ratan Bajaj as v.p. of global operations. Bajaj has more than 25 years of experience in the medical devices industry and most recently was with a company in the Bay area that manufactured precision medical devices he developed for the treatment of diabetes.

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Brandi Mulvey joined Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc. as real estate manager. Prior to joining Amylin, Mulvaney managed the leasing for CommonWealth Partner’s San Diego portfolio consisting of about 1 million square feet of Class A office that was recently sold to Maguire Properties.

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Benedetto Communications Inc. added Julia Newman as an account coordinator. She interned at Heying & Associates and at Xquizit Marketing and graduated magna cum laude from SDSU where she was the recipient of the 2004 Public Relations Society of America Glen Broom Scholarship and was named the 2005 Public Relations Student of the Year.

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Liz Schaper is the new business development officer in BLX’s San Diego Office. Her career spans seven years in corporate banking and finance.

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Realtor Amaya D’Amore joined Prudential California Realty’s Downtown San Diego office. D’Amore, who has more than 15 years of real estate experience, moved to San Diego in 2004 from Washington state.

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Z57 Inc., a real estate Internet marketing company, promoted Brandon Stigers to director of sales development. Stigers joined Z57 in 1999 as a sales representative and became sales manager and then corporate trainer.

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Candle Speed joined Evanco Realty Advisors Inc. She is an administrative assistant for the San Diego-based commercial real estate company.

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The Guiltinan Group of Real Estate Specialists added Jo Sawyer to its office. She has almost 20 years of experience as a Rancho Santa Fe area real estate agent, working out of an office in Fairbanks Plaza that she helped open in 1986. Also joining the firm with Sawyer are Mindy Ibee and Sharon Morck.

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Dr. Ajit Varki, professor of medicine and co-director of the Glycobiology Research and Training Center at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, was named recipient of the 2005 Karl Meyer Award. This is the 14th annual award to be presented by the Society at its annual meeting.

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ABD Insurance and Financial Services hired Edward Nokes as senior v.p., property managing and property and casualty, to work in the company’s Carlsbad office. His more than 25 years of brokerage experience includes jobs with the Willis Group.

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Sentek Consulting Inc. named Hamlin Tallent as v.p. C4I Systems, responsible for providing the company’s Navy clients with strategic counseling, development and management services.

He was director of operations for the United States European Command.

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Todd Niemann, a v.p. and construction manager in RBF Consulting’s Carlsbad office, was named president of the San Diego chapter of the Construction Management Association of America. Niemann has more than 20 years of experience in engineering and construction, and he has held leadership positions within CMAA and in his community. RBF Consulting recently was ranked “Best Firm to Work For” in the nation by CE News Magazine.

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Laurie Oakland returned as senior loan officer at Rancho Financial Mortgage Center based in Rancho Bernardo. A 41-year industry professional, Oakland worked for 11 years in mortgage lending and more than 30 years for area banks in management, senior loan officer and credit administration roles. Rancho Financial hired lending professional Beth Harris to develop and run its in-house Mortgage Banking Underwriting Office.

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Architects Harlan K. Tande and Greg McClure, and project manager David Salud joined Architects Delawie Wilkes Rodrigues Barker. Tande is a 35-year veteran of architectural design, 11 years as a senior associate at Conwell Shonkwiler & Associates in San Diego. McClure has eight years in the architectural design industry and recently moved here from North Carolina. A 27-year veteran in architectural design, Salud joins the firm as a project manager. He previously served five years as a project manager at Austin Veum Robbins Partners, and formerly was with Carrier Johnson Design Group.

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Cal State San Marcos Extended Studies honored Ramona Finnila, former Carlsbad councilwoman and Sandag director and chairwoman, with the first Fran Aleshire Leadership Award. The award, named for the founder of Leadership 2000, the precursor to the Leadership North County program, recognizes an outstanding graduate who has been a catalyst for positive change.

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Brookfield Homes added Rancho San Diego resident Jan Taylor to the sales office team at Lantana at Windingwalk in Chula Vista, a118-home neighborhood. She has more than 20 years of experience in customer service. efore entering the real estate field, Taylor was a PSA flight attendant for 25 years.

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The Burnham Institute for Medical Research appointed William Zondler as v.p., information technology. His more than 20 years of experience in biotech and commercial electronics manufacturing includes the past eight years at Diversa Corp. Sherri Marinovich was promoted to v.p,, human resources. She has been with the institute for more than 20 years.

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Amber Owen was appointed account manager for San Diego-based Summit Performance Group, provider of meeting planning. Prior to joining SPG, she was an event manager with Ericsson Wireless Inc. in San Diego.

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Polycomp, a California-based consultant in benefit and retirement plans since 1974, hired Jeff Lamberson, who has more than 10 years experience in the field, as pension plan administration manager. Katherine Yeargain, who held that position, will assume a new position as pension marketing consultant.

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Roger Owens, who has taught at both community college and baccalaureate institutions, is the new dean of the Communication and Fine Arts Division at Grossmont College. His most recent experience was five years in international education at UC Irvine. He has taught communication, writing and literature at UCLA and Whittier College. His community college experience includes Saddleback, Santiago Canyon and Los Angeles City College.

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Four new staff members joined JCJ Blackman Architecture Inc.’s San Diego team. They are Joseph E. Sandofer, with 20 years of architectural experience; Mei S. Barry, who has more than eight years of experience in public works, entertainment hospitality and retail, most recently, as a project manager for Varond Design Group; Sharmista Mitra-Kelly with more than seven years of architectural/design experience; and Maria Mobley, marketing coordinator at JCJ.

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Brian Mansell, a 12-year construction industry veteran, joined TSA Contracting, a UTC-based company, as project manager. Previously Mansell was a consultant to commercial contractors as well as a project manager at DPR Construction.

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EDAW, land and environment-based planning and design firm, promoted staff members Michael Kincaid to senior associate; and Scott McMillan, Cecilia Meyer Lovell, Tanya Wahoff and Valarie Yruretagoyena to associates in its San Diego office.

Kincaid has successfully completed a range of proposals and efforts for the company. McMillan, a botanist, has more than 15 years of experience conducting botanical studies in southern California; Lovell, also a biologist, has six years of experience conducting vegetation studies and wildlife surveys and provides habitat restoration planning and implementation oversight; archaeologist Wahoff, has more than 15 years of experience in cultural resource studies. Yruretagoyena, environmental analyst, has more than six years of experience.

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Monica Moon joined Studio 2055 as a graphic designer. She studied at the University of Nevada and Art Institute of California, and spent several years freelancing.

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A new management team is at work with the Alzheimer’s Association, San Diego chapter, under the leadership of CEO Merle Brodie. Recently appointed are Bob Morris,v.p. of development; Barbara Mandel Pache, v.p. of marketing and communications; and John Ohanian, v.p., finance and planned giving. Mandel Pache was a nonprofit consultant for a number of organizations over the past 15 years. Ohanian was previously a planned giving, financial systems and operations consultant for the Jewish Community Foundation and other nonprofit organizations and the senior auditor at KPMG Peat Marwick. Roberto Velasquez, who was promoted to v.p. of programs earlier this year, has been with the association for eight years.

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Countrywide Home Loans Inc. appointed Kate Sappenfield as co-branch manager for the San Diego area. She will share responsibilities with Lisa Coleman. Sappenfield has 18 years of experience, previously as a mortgage consultant with Wells Fargo Home Mortgage.

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Denise Cunningham was appointed the new v.p./g.m. of the San Diego market area for SBC. Cunningham will oversee customer service, marketing and sales. She has more than 26 years at SBC, where she was recognized by her peers with an SBC Quality Improvement Team Award called “Simply the Best.”

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Ashbrook Communities hired Jim McLennan as CFO. He was with Newland Communities where he was senior v.p. and CFO, and prior to that was with large accounting firms.

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Quail Botanical Gardens’ new director of operations is Pat Hammer, replacing Mary Lou Kelly, who has retired after nine years in the position. Prior to joining the Gardens, Hammer managed a topiary business she created, Samia Rose Topiary, in Encinitas. She has authored a comprehensive book on the subject.