Entertainment Kim Ashton has been named project manager at Burbank-based Dick Clark Communications Inc. She will be responsible for various functions, including supervising communications between clients and the company team, and serving as the primary contact for clients. Prior to joining, Ashton was in advertising. Also, Chris Ryall comes aboard as project director. He will be responsible for designing creative concepts for clients along with creating client proposals and implementing the company’s marketing efforts. Previously, Ryall was executive speechwriter and marketing specialist at American Honda Motor Corp. In addition, Maria Higgins has been named controller at Dick Clark Productions. She will oversee all financial reporting functions for company activities, including television production, business communications and company administration. Most recently, Higgins served as chief financial officer at S.L. Fusco Inc. David Demont has been named vice president of human resources for Camarillo-based Technicolor. He will be responsible for all aspects of functional direction and key initiative implementation for the human resources group, in addition to serving as a key advisor to the senior management team. Prior to joining, Demont was vice president of corporate human resources for Unocal. Food Processing Larry Kern has been promoted to president of worldwide fresh vegetables, packaged salads and non-tropical fresh fruit at Westlake Village-based Dole Food Co. Inc. He will be responsible for all vegetable operations and markets throughout Dole. Kern joined the company in 1993. Health Care Leanne Spaide was appointed executive director for strategic planning and business development at Adventist Health in Glendale. She will oversee strategic planning and business development for the medical center, as well as oversee marketing, sales and communications. Previously, Spaide was a senior manager with KPMG LLP. New Media Suzanne Brown has been appointed vice president of finance for Burbank-based B3 Corp. She will be responsible for all financial functions within the firm, including accounting, cash management, budgeting and planning. Prior to joining, Brown was vice president of strategic planning for Warner/Elektra/Atlantic Inc. Also, David Melnick has been promoted to vice president and chief technologist. He will be involved in all development of new e-commerce technology and oversee the corporation’s network operations and application development departments. Prior to joining, Melnick helped build an e-commerce practice at Deloitte & Touche LLP. Al Eisaian has joined North Hollywood-based LowerMyBills.com as senior vice president of operations and strategy. He will be responsible for leading the integration of all departments with Web operations and technology functions and identifying strategic business opportunities. Also, Mazda Marvasti joins the company as vice president of technology. He will be responsible for leading all facets of technology development. In addition, Oliver Chaine has joined as vice president of Web operations. He will be responsible for leading the deployment and ongoing Web operations management and contributing to strategic development in existing and future e-commerce partnerships. Prior to joining, all three executives worked at marchFIRST, formerly USWeb/CKS Corp. Stacy Kreisberg has been named vice president of business and legal affairs at Universal City’s Farmclub.com. She will be responsible for overseeing the convergence-media music company’s business legal matters. Prior to joining, Kreisberg was vice president of business and legal affairs at A & M; Records. Also, Larry Linietsky has been named vice president of business development. He will be responsible for negotiations involving strategic alliance deals, partnerships, content acquisition and distribution. Retail Howard Kaminsky has been promoted to executive vice president of finance at the La Canada Sport Chalet Inc. He will be responsible for the day-to-day financial management of the company’s management information systems, loss prevention/risk management and investor relations. Also, Jeff Lichtenstein has been promoted to vice president of loss prevention/risk management. He will be responsible for all areas of loss prevention, inventory control, and risk management, including store agents, collections, safety in stores and warehouses, and internal audit. Technology John Anderson has been appointed managing director of the San Fernando/San Gabriel Valley Manufacturing Technology Center. He will be responsible for the administration of the center and will lead a team of consultants in providing contracted services to small and mid-size manufacturers. Prior to his appointment, Anderson served as a California Manufacturing Technology Center project manager. Charlie Lombardo has been appointed national account manager at the Burbank office of CIT Systems Leasing. He will focus on providing equipment financing and leasing for large-ticket semiconductor, IT and TV/video production equipment for vendors as well as end-users. Lombardo is also commissioner and secretary of the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority. Tourism Donna Houston has been named tour operator service manager for the Woodland Hills office of Viking River Cruises Inc. She will be facilitating contracts for tour operators, consolidators and wholesalers, as well as managing group bookings. Rob Rothmann has been named group sales manager. He will be working directly with group agents booking parties of 10 or more.