PEOPLE IN BUSINESS.

BLUE CROSS NAMES TOP SALES AGENTS: Blue Cross of California recently announced its Top 100 sales agent producers for 1996, and among the recipients were five San Fernando Valley agents.

They were Lisa Dahl of the Hoffman Brown Company in Sherman Oaks; Lior Avishay of the LBA Insurance in Northridge; Larry Halpern of Halpern Insurance in Woodland Hills; and Jim Ziegler of James Ziegler & Associates and Charles Underhill of Underhill Insurance, both of Woodland Hills.

With nearly 3.5 million medical members, Blue Cross is the California operating subsidiary of WellPoint Health Networks Inc., one of the nation's largest publicly traded managed care companies.

CLARK PROMOTED AT LOS ROBLES BANK: Sharon Clark, a marketing and line officer for Los Robles Bank, has recently been promoted to vice president of commercial banking. Clark will provide financial services to the business and professional community, and will also be contributing to the ongoing development and promotion of business banking products and services.

Los Robles bank operates in Camarillo, Westlake Village and Thousand Oaks, and total assets have recently passed the $100 million mark.

MACKLIN ELECTED SOCIETY TREASURER: James H. Macklin, a CSUN lecturer in accounting and past vice president of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants, was recently elected treasurer of the organization. Macklin serves on several state committees including the finance committee, the special committee on certification and licensing issues, and the new member and candidate member committee.

The California Society of Certified Public Accountants is a statewide professional organization with 29,000 members serving in public practice, business, industry, education and government.

DAVIDSON RE-ELECTED ASSOCIATION VP: John Davidson, of Davidson Insurance Services in Westlake Village, was recently re-elected vice president of the California Association of Life Underwriters. Davidson has already served CALU as vice president of membership, regional trustee, trustee of the association's political action committee and government affairs coordinator.

Founded in 1934, CALU is a nonprofit association of insurance agents and agency managers dedicated to high standards of ethical and professional conduct.

MCHALE RECENTLY HIRED AS BEL-AIR HOTEL MANAGER: Anthony McHale, executive assistant manager of the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills, was recently appointed manager of the Bel-Air Hotel. His responsibilities and focus will be hotel operations and special projects.

The Bel-Air Hotel has been the recipient of numerous recent industry awards, including top rankings from Institutional Investor and Harper's Hideaway. Surrounded by 11.5 acres of landscaped gardens, the hotel features 52 guest rooms and 39 suites.

CABRAL APPOINTED TO ESOP POST: Joseph Cabral, president and chief executive officer of Chatsworth Products Inc., was recently appointed secretary-treasurer of the ESOP Association, and will serve a two year term.

The ESOP Association is the national trade association for companies with employee stock ownership plans.

LOCAL BUSINESSWOMEN ELECTED TO NATIONAL POSTS: Martha Diaz Aszkenazy, owner of Pueblo Contracting Services in San Fernando, was recently elected vice president of public affairs, and Linda Morse, owner of Escrow Overload, was recently elected treasurer for the National Association of Women Business Owners.

NAWBO represents more than 180,000 women-owned businesses in Los Angeles County.

MCKINNEY NAMED PRESIDENT OF COLLEGE: Jenell McKinney, a veteran educator and administrator, was recently named president of Bryman College in Winnetka. McKinney will continue to expand Bryman College's curriculum and staff, as well as its job placement outreaches to local employers.

Bryman College trains students for careers as medical and dental assistants and medical office managers.

HOISCH JOINS SUTRO BRANCH: John Hoisch, who spent seven years with Schroder Wertheim and 10 with Bateman Eichler and Drexel Burnham, has joined Sutro & Co.'s Woodland Hills branch office as first vice president/investments.

Founded in 1858, Sutro & Co. Inc. is the oldest New York Stock Exchange member based west of the Mississippi River, and provides a full range of financial services for individuals, institutions, corporations and municipalities. The firm has 21 offices located throughout California, Arizona, Colorado, Oregon and Nevada.

CAPTION(S):

4 Photos

Photo: (1) CLARK

(2) DAVIDSON

(3) CABRAL

(4) MACKLIN