PEOPLE.

Newsmakers

Advertising & P.R.

Elizabeth Ausman was named executive vice president and director of business development, corporate strategy and business planning at the Los Angeles office of Initiative Media North America, a media buying and planning firm. She will be responsible for identifying and creating new opportunities and setting short- and long-term goals. Ausman was most recently senior vice president and director of corporate strategy and development at Campbell-Ewald.

Architecture

Marco Pizzo was promoted to principal at Carmen Nordsten Igonda Design in West Hollywood. He will focus on developing interior design direction and will be responsible for corporate and institutional projects. Pizzo was formerly a senior associate.

Nick Seierup was named director of design and a principal at the California practice of Perkins & Will in Santa Monica. He will oversee design conceptualization and planning for a number of markets, including regional health care, science and technology, education and corporate commercial. Seierup was most recently a partner with Steven Ehrlich Architects in Culver City.

Banking & Finance

Jeff Kreager was promoted to executive vice president at the Los Angeles office of Union Bank of California. He will oversee credit decisions in specialized lending, which targets energy capital services, corporate capital markets, communications and media. Kreager was previously senior vice president.

Biotechnology

Paul A. Foster was named vice president of clinical research at Alpha Therapeutic Corp., a Los Angeles-based developer of plasma-derived biopharmaceutical products. He will be responsible for managing clinical trials and biostatistical functions involving products awaiting regulatory approval. Foster was most recently director of medical affairs for the diagnostic division of Abbott Laboratories.

Entertainment

Gail Berman was named president of entertainment at Fox Broadcasting Co. in Los Angeles. She will be responsible for all program development and scheduling, as well as marketing and promotions. Berman was previously president of Regency Television.

Robert F. Callahan was promoted to president of the ABC Broadcast Group in Los Angeles. He was most recently president of broadcasting. Also, Olivia Cohen-Cutler was promoted to vice president of broadcast standards and practices. She will be responsible for departmental operations and will act as liaison to academic, business, community and medical groups for broadcast content issues. Cohen-Cutler was most recently vice president of television business affairs.

Health Care

Linda Ash-Jackson was appointed senior vice president and principal of Sokolov, Schwab, Bennett, a Los Angeles-based health care management consulting and development firm. She will be responsible for consulting on mergers and acquisitions, managed care, disease management and systems design. Ash-Jackson was most recently vice president and national core medical director at Aetna U.S. Healthcare.

Rick Graniere was promoted to chief financial officer at Memorial Health Services in Long Beach. He will be responsible for all financial matters at the five-hospital health system. Graniere was previously senior vice president of finance and chief financial officer at the Long Beach and Saddleback Memorial medical centers.

Lou Lazatin was appointed chief executive of Queen of Angels-Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center. She will be responsible for overall operations and strategic direction. Lazatin was most recently chief executive of Sutter Health's central service area in Sacramento.

High Tech

James DeRose was named chief executive at Mysmart, a Los Angeles-based company that provides Internet service technologies and hardware. He will be responsible for launching the company and directing growth and strategic partnerships. DeRose was most recently president and chief executive at Pacific Data Images, a DreamWorks SKG-owned company.

Larry Feuerstein was promoted to vice president and chief information officer at Computer Sciences Corp. in El Segundo. He will direct the ongoing development, implementation and maintenance of the internal technical infrastructure and application systems. Feuerstein was previously vice president of corporate projects. Also, Pete Gross was promoted to chief technology officer. He will identify and evaluate technologies for meeting internal business needs and will also direct the integration and globalization of the firm's internal technical infrastructure. Gross was formerly vice president of the year 2000 assurance office. In addition, Raymond Moore was appointed vice president of finance and administration for the company's health care group. He will be responsible for all finance, accounting, facilities, technology, acquisitions and contracts for the group. Moore was most recently an executive vice president and chief financial officer at America Direct Insurance Corp. in New York.

Law

Stephen L. Saltzman was named partner at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld in Los Angeles. He focuses on domestic and international transactions in the entertainment industry. Saltzman was most recently a partner with Loeb & Loeb in Los Angeles.

Media

Barbara Deering was named president of Primedia Enterprises, a Los Angeles-based licensing unit of magazine publisher Primedia. She will be responsible for leading the new brand and content licensing division, and spearheading licensing programs for all company properties. Deering was most recently vice president of licensing for EMAP Petersen.

Deborah Hinton was named executive vice president and chief financial officer at KCET, the Los Angeles station of the Public Broadcasting Service. She will be responsible for development of new business opportunities and will oversee financial operations. Hinton was previously executive vice president of creative ventures at Oregon Public Broadcasting.

New Media

David Duckwitz was appointed senior vice president and general manager of the enterprise strategic business unit at Stamps.com in Santa Monica. He will direct sales and marketing efforts, and operations for the department. Duckwitz was formerly a senior vice president of Computer Associates.

Carl Sternberg was named chief information officer at DNA Studio, a digital media marketing firm in Los Angeles. He will be responsible for guiding technology strategy for data analysis and Web delivery tools, and will also develop and manage alliances with technology suppliers. Sternberg was most recently chief intelligence officer at EPS Solutions.

Personnel

Richard Holt was promoted to vice president of business development in the Los Angeles office of Lee Hecht Harrison. He will develop and maintain corporate client relationships in the Los Angeles area. Holt was previously vice president of professional services.

Post Production

Kelvin Duckett was named president and chief executive of Morgan Digital Studios, a post-production studio in Los Angeles that specializes in video production for the Internet. He will oversee the management and expansion of the firm during a national rollout to New York, Miami, Chicago and Dallas. Duckett was previously head of the French animation studio of Canal Plus.

Real Estate

Joseph Gabbaian and Bill DuBrowa were promoted to senior vice presidents at Grubb & Ellis Co. in West Los Angeles. Gabbaian specializes in Westside office leasing and investment sales. DuBrowa specializes in the sale of Los Angeles-area investment properties. Both were previously vice presidents.

Scott L. Gibson was promoted to executive vice president and general sales manager at Coldwell Banker Southern California in Los Angeles. He will be responsible for all operations and sales in the region. Gibson was previously senior vice president and Westside/South Bay regional manager for the company.

Old Guard Friar's Club Gets Its First Woman at Helm

LINDA Di Meglio is the first woman to take charge of the legendary Friars Club, famed for its raurchy celebrity stag roasts and cigar-chomping comedic old guard.

As the new executive director of the Beverly Hills club, Di Meglio will try to recruit new members and update services while preserving the old-Hollywood flavor of the venerable institution.

"We're trying to maintain the history and feeling by marrying the new age of entertainers with the senior group," Di Meglio said.

The Friars Club was founded in 1946 by Milton Berle and George Burns as a private club for comedians and entertainers. At first only open to males, it began accepting women about 15 years ago when attorney Gloria Allred became a member. Other more recent recruits include talk show host Larry King and actor Billy Crystal.

Di Meglio plans to position the club as a "learning space" for performers by instituting open-mike nights when up-and-comers can strut their stuff before comedic greats like Sid Caesar and Carl Reiner. She is also focusing the recruitment effort on baby boomers, with membership galas featuring lookalike bands imitating such groups as The Supremes and The Temptations to lure that middle-aged set.

"We're not trying to go from the swing era directly to Britney Spears," Di Meglio points out.

The changes extend to the physical surroundings as well. From the health club to the dimly lit recreation area, the facilities are getting an overhaul for a clean, updated club look. Di Meglio is also shifting the menu at the club's restaurant from mostly meat-and-potatoes to lighter, healthier fare.

"Much of the staff is very senior, literally and figuratively, which presents a challenge when you bring in new ideas," said Di Meglio. "But the board of directors has been very supportive."

Di Meglio was most recently in charge of special events at Raleigh Studios. She previously served as director of dining services and special events at Sony Pictures Entertainment in Culver City.

Jennifer Smith