The Universal City/North Hollywood Chamber of Commerce holds its networking lunch. 11:30 a.m. Rusty’s Hacienda Sol 6439 Lankershim, North Hollywood (818) 508-5155 noho.org

BEST MENTORS Bert Seneca General Manager Beverly Garland’s Holiday Inn Just one of the success stories of Bert Seneca’s influence as a mentor is illustrated in the upward career path of Sandra Pinada. Working under Seneca at the Airtel Plaza Hotel in Van Nuys, she started out as hostess, was promoted to front desk and then moved up to the sales department. She later left to work for a competing hotel, but remembering the encouraging environment created by Seneca, she recently came over to work for him again at Beverly Garland’s Holiday Inn, where she holds the position of assistant director of sales and marketing. “Seeing her here is a great reminder of the satisfaction I get when the guidance of a mentor is combined with the desire and drive of an individual seeking progress and growth in their career.” said Seneca. During his 14 years at the Airtel Plaza Hotel in Van Nuys, ultimately holding the position of vice president and general manager, Seneca discovered the importance of motivating and inspiring his employees to grow, sometimes needing to push them a bit and seeing a decrease in turnover as just one result. Since joining Beverly Garland’s Holiday Inn in 2005, Seneca continues his motivating ideals including discussing employee’s future goals, offering advice on advancement and informing them of available courses the hotel assists with financially. He believes it is this type of leadership that creates a loyal staff instilling in them a sense of pride as well as a sense of security in their career. “Someone helped me get into this industry, so I know how important it is to create an encouraging culture and growth environment,” said Seneca. Barbara Sheppard Ryan J. Ward Area Human Resources Manager Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse Inc. When an extraordinary amount of advancements and promotions start occurring in the same region, company leaders take notice and want to know the secret to this success. One of the sources of success in Lowe’s Valley-area region is Ryan J. Ward who created a region-wide mentoring program at the home improvement chain. This program provides human resources courses and seminars to workers who can’t attend college. One example of Ward’s attention to the personal development of his staff is Nikia Knight. She started as an HR coordinator and after completing his program, is now the human resources manager of Lowe’s-Antelope Valley store that averages $35 million in annual sales. “I recognize there are many top-notch quality individuals who have an interest in the human resource discipline and it’s important to motivate and assist them in that development,” said Ward. Ward feels fortunate that he was able to attend college and major in human resources, which is one reason why he feels so strongly about helping others to succeed. His dedication as a mentor is not limited to his job, as he assisted in the formation of Mayor Villaraigosa’s Hire LA Youth Program and has had extensive involvement in community job fairs. Barbara Sheppard

Voice Print International has acquired a privately owned call center management provider, the company announced Monday. The purchase of Syntora Inc. allows Camarillo-based Voice Print to equip call centers with tools that improve workforce performance, build customer loyalty, minimize risk and ensure regulatory compliance, the company said. Syntora’s technology reduces contact center operational costs by an average of 10 percent, the company said. “We’ve worked with Syntora for years and have developed an appreciation and respect for their remarkable reputation and unique vision,” said Andrew Marsh, founder and president of Voice Print International, in a statement. “In addition to their technological innovations, Syntora has a proven management team with core values we share. We have very exciting plans for the future and look forward to expanding and enhancing our product suite.”

If you listen to sophisticated business commentary on the television or on radio, you have probably heard any of a number of very smart people talk about our economy and how to understand various economic indicators. I did not go to business school so I am na & #271;ve in many of these terms. For me, I don’t need a business degree to see that there seems to be more houses in my neighborhood that just aren’t selling, and that it is harder to get people to come to charitable events. And, why is it that getting people to pay their legal bills just seems to be tougher and tougher? The simple truth is that the economy is going in the wrong direction (don’t ask me to chart this or to make those bar graphs in different colors). With housing prices falling, equity shrinking, equity lines being depleted, jobs being cut, and interest rates rising, is it any wonder that for those of us that were in business in the early 90’s, we can again see the framework of a business slowdown. Now, it would be easy to diagnose the problem and leave it at that. Of course, any lawyer like me who got his degree in English and American Literature could do that. I won’t be so conservative. If it is going to happen, then what can we do to make it easier on ourselves? By the way, please don’t ask any Wharton graduate to confirm my advice, as it may have very little to do with what is taught in B School. Like many issues that we face in our personal or business lives, the biggest hurdle is recognizing that we face a problem in the first place. And, being on the front end of the curve will allow you to figure out sooner, rather than later, whether your business simply needs a doctor or whether it needs a priest/rabbi/minister (or pick your preferred religious counsel). So, what kinds of proactive steps should a business take to stay well ahead of the recession curve, whenever it comes? Here are a few questions you might want to consider: 1) would a merger make sense; 2) should the business seek to be acquired; 3) should non-performing locations be closed; 4) does the business need to hire or fire more; 5) is there a succession plan; and 6) how well are our clients positioned to withstand the economic shifts? Our firm addresses these issues with clients on a regular basis. Notice that I wrote with clients, not for clients. Your clients want to know that you are with them through thick and thin. And, the key to maintaining successful client relationships is letting them know that it is not “their” problem, but “our” problem. Working with clients Ask yourself what makes sense for their business, and then adjust yours accordingly. For example, many of our clients want to fix or reduce costs as a way of being pro-active in their business planning. No big surprise there. Of course, they may decide that means reducing legal services. Rather than risk losing a client, we can offer them flat rate legal services, under certain conditions. Alternatively, for clients who are prone to stretching payments, we can offer incentives (discounts) for early payment. Such options allow our clients to meet their financial goals and our firm to retain valuable clients. Yes, it may cut into profits. But the discounts will be significantly less than the time and money spent chasing clients for payment. Absent this flexibility, you will watch your accounts receivable age, while your hair falls out in clumps. (If you notice my photo, you’ll see that I’ve had to learn these lessons.) For my last piece of advice, and utilizing a little analogy from the real estate field, successful businesses need to market, market, and market. Your tendency may be to cut non-essential services such as marketing and promotional activities. Doing so may have a short term impact on your bottom line. However, slowdown-like conditions call for strategic marketing and planning. Figure out how to best position your business to take advantage of market opportunities, including the economy’s inevitable upswing when it occurs. Be creative Only you can determine the specifics for your particular business. I can tell you that our clients want creative proposals to deal with a changing economy. Although I like to say that we are only limited by our own creativity, I’m envisioning the heels of my creative shoes being worn down pretty low over the next couple of years. However, as trusted advisors for our clients, our job is to react, to help, to fix, and to solve their business problems. I am not making a prediction as to whether we are headed toward a recession, when it will hit, how long it will last, or when it will end. If I knew that, I would spend my time at the track betting on the ponies. I do know, however, that our economy will cycle, and I would rather be ahead of the curve, than behind it. What business wouldn’t Jim Felton is the managing partner of Greenberg & Bass LLP. He got an A in Economics 2A at Brandeis University.

By Ken Pulskamp and Ken Striplin City Manager and Assistant City Manager City of Santa Clarita It’s no secret that public sector government agencies will soon be facing an employment crisis. This year, the first of a generation of baby boomers began to retire. How are we as public sector leaders preparing the next generation to succeed us? As today’s managers are nearing retirement, fewer young professionals are in line and prepared to fill their shoes. This is the beating drum of alarm communicated to cities from organizations like the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and the League of California Cities. The problem is real and significant because half of the 20.6 million government workers are 45 years of age or older (Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government). The City of Santa Clarita has heard the message and is acting proactively to address this emerging predicament through preparing the next generation of up and coming government employees. In 2002, the City of Santa Clarita initiated the development of a Mentoring Program designed to meet the following goals: 1) to provide employees with growth and development opportunities; 2) institutionalize mentoring and support the City’s Philosophy and core values; 3) address issues identified in an employee survey that showed desire among employees to engage in mentoring relationships; 4) to invest in our human capital; 5) to identify leaders and potential leaders; 6) to build and deepen leadership capacity; 7) to provide training and resources; and 8) provide a support and recognition network for those seeking growth and development opportunities. The Mentoring Program works in the following way: & #711; The Program is managed by a Mentoring Committee which is composed of the City’s Executive Team. The Mentoring Committee has the responsibility of providing guidance and advice on the program scope and design, providing acknowledgement and recognition of mentor/prot & #233;g & #233; relationships, and occasionally participating in the program through serving as instructors/trainers. The active participation and support of this committee demonstrates the credibility and significance of the program within the organization. & #711; The Program is open to all classifications of regular employees (management, non-management, union, etc.). & #711; The Program is a year long beginning in September and ending in August. & #711; The Program is voluntary and participants need only to present a request to participate form to the Mentoring Committee. & #711; All participants are required to self-select. This means that the City does not match mentors and prot & #233;g & #233;s. Instead, interested participants are required to take the initiative to seek potential mentors within the organization that best match their own leadership characteristics. & #711; Once in the program, mentor/prot & #233;g & #233; pairs can mutually agree upon a development plan for the one year program. This development plan outlines the purpose of the relationship and the key areas of focus. Creating this plan provides a framework for the relationship and helps with clarity and meaning. & #711; Mentor/prot & #233;g & #233; pairs can decide how often they need to meet. The majority of participants meet at least once a month for an hour. Mentors are responsible for providing the prot & #233;g & #233; with professional or career guidance focusing on long-term development; serving as a channel for communicating the organizational mission and priorities/decisions; discussing development progress and goals; serving as a confidant/advisor; being a role model; and providing opportunities to work on challenging and significant projects either within or out of the prot & #233;g & #233;’s department/division (in cooperation with and approval of the immediate supervisor). Once accepted into the Mentoring Program, participants are given the opportunity to participate in a comprehensive training and networking schedule. These training activities include: an introductory training session is provided to help participants (mentors and prot & #233;g & #233;s) understand the concept of mentoring and how to make sure that their experience is successful, a meeting between the City Manager and the mentors to facilitate a discussion about key values they should be passing on to their prot & #233;g & #233;s, and two professional development trainings on topics such as business etiquette, leadership, conflict management, and successful negotiation. Focus group meetings To help program participants network and provide continuous feedback to the Mentoring Committee and other program participants, three focus group meetings are scheduled during the course of the year long program. These focus group meetings serve as period check-in sessions where participants can share what they are learning, give advice to other participants and give constructive feedback for the betterment of the program. In addition to the focus group meetings, participants can log on to the Mentoring Program web site, which is located on the City’s intra-net system. This web site allows Participants to post information that was helpful to their mentoring relationship and provides additional educational resources that all participants could benefit from. At the end of the program, the Mentoring Committee organizes a small reception for program participants. During this reception, participants are recognized by the City Manager for their participation in the program and are given a Certificate or small token of appreciation to commemorate their experience in the program. During the first two years of the program, approximately 35 to 40 employees participated each year. Last year, 2004-2005 participation increased significantly with 69 employees participating. The 2006 session kicked off with 96 participants, which represents nearly one-third of the City’s regular employees. Participation growing In addition to the consistently positive comments received through the satisfaction survey, of the 249 participants since 2002, over 58 or 23 percent of employees have actually been successful in promoting within the organization to take on higher level or more complex jobs. Ten employees who participated in the program were able to accept promotions to management positions at other organizations, including three who were promoted to department head positions. Several employees who have participated as prot & #233;g & #233;s have gained sufficient confidence through the program to later participate as a mentor, furthering the support network and deepening the leadership capacity in the City of Santa Clarita. Finally, the successes of the program could not have been accomplished without the support of the City’s Executive Management Team. The City’s Executive Management Team is committed to the success of the Mentoring Program. In addition to their advisory and advocacy roles, the Management Team encourages their staff to participate, allows participants to use work hours for mentoring activities, provides guidance, and serves as role models to others. This year, the League of California Cities recognized the City’s Mentoring Program with an award of excellence at the annual conference. We have prepared a CD about the Mentoring program that we would be happy to share. The City’s Mentoring Program would be easy to reproduce in both the public and private sector. If you are interested in receiving a free CD on Santa Clarita’s Mentoring program, please contact Tina Haddad, Assistant to the City Manager at 661-259-2489.

Social networking sites are big business. Rupert Murdoch paid more than $500 million for MySpace. Yahoo! is reportedly in talks to purchase Facebook for up to $1 billion. Microsoft recently launched a test version of its own social networking site called Wallop. There are millions of users to these sites. And there are just as many ways for those users to have their information used improperly and potentially placing themselves into dangerous or exploitative situations. That’s why tech entrepreneurs Michael Edelson and Brad Weber developed BeNetSafe.com, a web-based service to alert parents what their children are writing on their public profiles. Before one thinks that Weber and Edelson are fuddy duddies wanting to stop kids from communicating with their friends, between the two of them they have six teenage children all with MySpace pages. “There is no inherent danger from the Internet or social networking,” Weber said. “This is a tool for parents to find information that shouldn’t be out there.” The pair’s service based out of offices in Sherman Oaks launched in August and so far has about 1,000 subscribers. Subscriptions can be monthly or annual and are simple to set up. With a minimal amount of information a child’s name and e-mail address parents can receive a daily, weekly or monthly report of what their children write at their sites. Edelson cautioned that their service is not spyware recording keystrokes but a collector of information available in the public domain. As they learned through personal experience, it can take hours for parents to monitor their children’s activities on the Internet. Even if the computers at home are blocked or filtered, teens are savvy enough to get around those restrictions. “Ninety percent of all kids have access to a second computer other than at home,” Edelson said. A goal of the BeNetSafe service is to educate social networking site users to be responsible about what they write. Teenagers have the mindset that when they make a MySpace page it will only be seen by themselves and their friends when it can be seen to any person who goes to the site, Weber site. Edelson and Weber have worked together since the 1980s and launched BeNetSafe through a combination of their own money and outside investors who put money into startup companies. The pair is looking for a second round of outside funding, set up an affiliate program that pays commissions to other websites sending traffic to BeNetSafe and are partnering with other companies to offer BeNetSafe as part of a bundled package with other security services. Media, New and Old Don’t believe the hype about digital cinema. That was message Technicolor executive Joe Berchtold gave Oct. 3 in a panel discussion during the PriceWaterhouseCoopers Global Entertainment and Media Outlook presentation at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills. Taking part in a discussion about traditional media companies navigating their way into the new world of digital media, Berchtold gave an overview of how Technicolor, based in Camarillo, took steps to make sure the company would not become obsolete. Technicolor for decades has been a leading firm in processing and shipping 35mm prints of feature films. As the industry makes the transition to digital cinema, Technicolor walks a “fine line” between not dragging its heels and still making an investment in the new technology, Berchtold said. This summer, Technicolor signed an agreement with a Belgian movie theater chain to install its digital theater equipment in about 130 theaters by the end of 2007. The company began its rollout in select U.S. theaters in June. One cannot believe press releases that the cutting edge technology has no faults and will bring immediate cuts to expenses, Berchtold said. There will be no cost savings to the studios or exhibitors for at least five years, and it was not uncommon for digital cinema equipment to break down over crucial weekend screenings, Berchtold said. Berchtold also told how Technicolor went about remaking itself in the face of new media formats such as digital cinema and video on demand. The company, Berchtold explained, incubated its new media business units separately to make sure they had the right resources. That conscious effort allowed for a defining of the technological applications and development of business models that put them on a path that was sustainable, Berchtold said. In June, the company underwent reorganization into four primary business units: theatrical services, home entertainment services, content services, and network services. “I think we have taken the right steps,” Berchtold said. Making Movies The digital revolution has made it all that easier for amateurs to get into filmmaking. A video camera to shoot with and a laptop to edit with is the most basic equipment a budding filmmaking needs. The trick, however, is still to get distribution for their work. “A lot of times if you are a small movie, theatrical distribution is a long shot,” said filmmaker Jim Mercurio. “It costs a lot of money and people might not be willing to put up the tens of thousands of dollars for promotion and ads to give your film a shot.” This month a project co-produced by Mercurio gets its shot when “Hard Scrambled” has a one-week run at the Fine Arts Theater in Los Angeles starting Oct. 13. A resident of Valley Village, Mercurio came to Los Angeles 15 years ago to break into the entertainment industry. “Hard Scrambled” marks the second feature work he has been personally involved with, following his 2001 directorial debut, “March.” Screenwriter and director David Scott Hay adapted “Hard Scrambled” from his own play. Mercurio describes the film as a throwback to the 70s with gritty characters and dialogue reminiscent of David Mamet. Staff Reporter Mark R. Madler can be reached at (818) 316-3126 or at [email protected] .

BEST STUDENT LOAN PROGRAMS Wells Fargo Leave it to a bank to make even its charitable giving work hard. Wells Fargo’s many programs to further financial literacy and education for both high school and college students, often include a unique twist. Take the bank’s five-year, $1 million endowment fund to California State University, Northridge that created the Wells Fargo Center for Small Business. Students involved in the program then go out to the community helping small businesses with their marketing, finance and other endeavors. Facility: Wells Fargo has a bank branch at CSUN. The bank’s Comadre Network, which operates in Pacoima, works by training local community leaders, who can then go out and offer financial literacy classes at churches and other non-profit centers. Wells originates $3.7 billion a year in federal and alternative student loans and manages more than $13 billion in outstanding student loans. But financing a student’s education is not the same as educating students financially. “Right when we opened, we realized a lot of our customers are going to be 18-, 19-, 20-year olds where it’s the first time they are opening a bank account,” said Sarkis Tarkanian, branch manager at the California State University, Northridge store, the first bank to locate on the school’s campus. “We spend a great deal of time educating our customers.” The opening of Wells’ branch on the CSUN campus brought a lot of one-on-one training to students, and now the impromptu financial literacy classes have evolved into more formal efforts. Among them, Wells runs as part of a life skills institute, classes where students can learn about money, credit and other financial matters, sometimes with special guest speakers such as noted personal finance expert Suze Orman. Bank officials say the efforts at grassroots levels help to create the kinds of long term relationships they seek. “Particularly in our low and moderate income areas, we do a lot of financial literacy training,” said David Guzman, district manager for the North Valley community bank. “At the end of the day we feel it’s part of sustaining long term relationships.” Wells decentralizes its programs, allowing store managers and other regional personnel to select the recipients of its philanthropic efforts, and the result has been significant giving to Valley-area schools including Agoura High School, Canyon High School, Chatsworth High School, El Camino Real High School and numerous others. The Community Partners program this year gave $1,000 grants to 11 Valley schools and educational establishments. In addition Wells Fargo makes available scholarships to the children of its own team members. Shelly Garcia Citigroup Global financial giant Citigroup could well be the poster child for thinking locally when it comes to the support and funding it makes available to many different educational programs. The Citigroup of companies offers grant funding, sponsorship dollars and volunteers to help small businesses and families to manage their assets and build their nest eggs and it participates in mentoring programs to encourage teachers in the Northeast Valley among other locales. Since the early 2000s, the Citigroup Foundation has provided grant funding to help the Valley Economic Development Center to offer small business education and entrepreneurial development programs. The most recent was a $50,000 multi-year grant. Citibank has also focused considerable attention on the Northeast San Fernando Valley providing sponsorship dollars to El Nido Family Centers, M.E.N.D., Pacoima Beautiful, Habitat for Humanity and Chrysalis to help provide financial literacy education to those communities. “We not only train the non-profit organizations, our own volunteers go out in the community with these organizations and teach an average of 6 to 10 classes,” said Rashi Kallur Citigroup’s community relations officer for the San Fernando Valley. The work in the Northeast Valley, including Pacoima, the city of San Fernando and Arleta, where Citibank operates branches, extends to personal outreach efforts as well. “Where we have those branches, we have to understand the community around us, and how to make those communities better,” said Kathy Scott, area manager for Citibank. “Personal bankers spend a lot of time on developing the community with one-on-one training and training other community leaders to continue that effort. We’ve been able to see changes in the community and it makes us feel pretty good to see that.” Citibank has sponsored the San Fernando Valley Economic Forecast provided by the San Fernando Valley Economic Research Center at Cal State University Northridge since 2003, research that Citibank officials say is key to the operation of the 21 branches the bank has in the Valley. “As community relations officer, I feel personally we really need to understand what’s going on in my region with housing and economic development,” Kallur said. “The forecast is a tool for us to understand the community and how we can serve it.” Through a Citigroup Foundation grant, the bank has also provided scholarships to needy students at Moorpark College. Citibank also funds several programs geared to promote early education and to mentor teachers in urban areas encouraging them to remain in their sometimes challenging jobs. Shelly Garcia

The investment firm of computer mogul Michael Dell bought a majority ownership of the ValleyCrest Companies, the decades old family-owned landscaping firm based in Calabasas. Financial terms of the deal between ValleyCrest and MSD Capital L.P. were not disclosed. Company founder and chief executive Burton S. Sperber, President Richard A. Sperber and Stuart Sperber, chief executive of Valley Crest Tree Co. retain what the company called significant equity ownership and will continue to lead the business.

Banking Gilmore Bank hired Dan Givens as a loan officer at the new Westlake Village office. Givens has 27 years experience in commercial, Small Business Administration and real estate lending. He most recently served as vice president and branch manager with Frontier Bank. Education Sebastian Zacharia has been appointed as director of international studies at Woodbury University. Zacharia will focus on strengthening the school’s study abroad programs and enhancing the university’s efforts to bring an international dimension to research, curriculum, and instruction. He previously served as director of the regional program for Asia and the Pacific at the United Nations. Glendale Community College Board President Kathleen Burke-Kelly resigned from that position. She had been board president for 3 & #733; years. Burke-Kelly also serves as vice president of academic affairs at Los Angeles Mission College. Entertainment Wesley Coleman has been named as executive vice president and chief human resources officer for The Walt Disney Co. Coleman is responsible for managing Disney employee communications, organizational and cultural development, employee education and development, global staffing, diversity and compensation and benefits. He previously served as vice president, Global Human Resources at Nike. Health Care The Jewish Home for the Aging named Derek Brown, Jeffrey Glassman, and Rick Gleitman to its board of directors. Brown has three decades of financial and general management experience and recently retired from American Pharmaceutical Partners, Inc. Glassman is a lawyer with Bingham Legg Advisers, LLC. Gleitman is in the real estate development and investment business. Law Gary L. Barr, a principal at Alpert & Barr, Encino, has been appointed to the Commission on Judicial Procedures by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. The commission is responsible for recommending strategies to reduce caseloads, lessen delays and otherwise make the county judicial system run more efficiently. Barr has been a civil litigator in private practice since 1982. He succeeds his law firm partner, Lee Kanon Alpert, who served on the commission for 18 years. Media Harold F. Woldt, Jr. has been named as vice president, circulation for the Los Angeles Newspaper Group. Woldt was most recently vice president, circulation at the San Jose Mercury News. The Los Angeles Newspaper Group publishes eight daily newspapers, including the Daily News. Carol Lee has been named as vice president, home entertainment, North America for Granada International. She will work from the company’s Sherman Oaks office. Lee is responsible for delivering Granada International’s programming across all digital platforms, securing new distribution deals, overseeing product release strategy and expanding sales opportunities. Public Service James Fitzpatrick has been appointed as deputy director of the California Film Commission. Fitzpatrick previously served as director of government and production affairs in the State Government Affairs Department for the Motion Picture Association of America. Fitzpatrick is a member of the Directors Guild of America. George Andros, Steve Cochran, Matt Epstein, Gordon Murley, and Barbara Romero were appointed to the South Valley Area Planning Commission by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Andros is a full-time practitioner at the Los Angeles Vascular Specialists. Cochran is a partner in the law firm of Katten, Muchin, Rosenman, LLP. Epstein is founder of Team 2000, a real estate company. Murley has served as vice president of sales and marketing for the Infix Corp. Romero serves as director of urban projects for the Natural Resources and Planning Division of the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority. Lori Zafiropoulos and Rodney Skidmore have been appointed to the Simi Valley Police Foundation. Zafiropoulos is retired and volunteers at the Simi Valley Police Department and the Assistance League of Conejo Valley. Skidmore is vice president for the Institutional Trust Group at US Bank in Simi Valley. Ramon Muniz has been appointed to the Rent Adjustment Commission by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Muniz is coordinator for the Educational Opportunity Program at California State University, Northridge. Real Estate Andrew W. Hodac was named senior investment associate at Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Brokerage Co. Hodac joined the brokerage in Encino in 2000 and specializes in multifamily investments. Lee Black has joined NAI Capital as executive vice president. Black was most recently managing principal of Newmark Knight Frank’s Southern California region. He is a 21-year real estate veteran. Technology Tiffany Ternan has been named as vice president of marketing at video game publisher THQ Inc. Ternan will be responsible for managing the Agoura Hills-based company’s portfolio of externally licensed content and building opportunities for THQ’s owned intellectual properties across other media. She previously served as senior vice president of North American sales for THQ. Philip Rosenthal has been named as computer forensic expert adviser for BeNetSafe, a Sherman Oaks company providing online chaperone services for social networking websites. Rosenthal is a member of the U.S. Secret Service Electronic Crimes Task Force and the High Tech Crime Consortium. QPC Lasers Inc. named Ed McIntyre as director of marketing. He previously served as director of marketing at PD-LD, Inc., where he developed applications for hg brightness lasers using external optical components.

This regular feature focuses on philanthropic activities by Valley-area companies and businesspeople. Wells Fargo awarded $38,000 in grants to San Fernando Valley non-profit organizations at its annual community partners breakfast. The event was held recently at Braemar Country Club in Tarzana. The unsolicited cash donations of $1,000 each were given to 38 non-profits including local educational institutions. Among the recipients were Los Angeles Valley College; Atwater Avenue Elementary School; LAUSD-Herrick Avenue Elementary School; Charlotte & Elise Merdinian Armenian School; El Camino Real-Canoga Park Community Adult School; El Camino Real High School-athletic programs, Encino Elementary School-booster club, Glendale College Foundation; Inc.; JFK High School-Golden Cougar music booster and L.A. International Charter High School. Many other San Fernando Valley non-profit organizations were selected to receive the Wells Fargo contributions as part of the company’s ongoing commitment to support the Valley and every community it serves. The event was also attended by Vince Liuzzi, Wells Fargo regional president for the San Fernando Valley, special guest Los Angeles City Councilmember Alex Padilla, 7th District and representatives from the Valley non-profit organizations receiving the awards. Nordstrom Fundraiser Nordstrom’s grand re-opening gala and benefit on Oct. 3 raised $170,000 for two local charities, Shane’s Inspiration and Childhelp, Buena Ventura Chapter. The gala celebrated the opening of Nordstrom’s new 200,000-square-foot flagship store at Westfield’s Topanga shopping center. About 1,600 attended the gala, which included a runway fashion show and the chance to be the first to shop the new store, which opened to the public on Oct. 6. Shane’s Inspiration develops playgrounds with access for children with disabilities, allowing them to romp with their able-bodied peers. The non-profit also provides outreach, education and transportation programs to break down barriers faced by kids with disabilities. Childhelp works with abused and neglected children, providing advocacy centers, hotlines, therapy and foster care home assistance. The financing was raised through ticket prices to the gala and additional donations by those attending. Nordstrom underwrote the event. Foundation Event The Fifth Annual Robert D. Selleck Memorial Golf Classic was held to benefit the critical care services department of Valley Presbyterian Hospital. The location of the event was the Robinson Ranch Golf Club in Santa Clarita. Among the Valley sponsors were Medpoint Management in Woodland Hills; Cowdreys Pharmacy in Van Nuys; Interstate Rehab in Glendale; Law Offices of James Lahana in Westlake Village; W.W. Grainger of Northridge; Anatomical Services, Inc. in Simi Valley; Moore, Winters, Skeeba & McKennon, LLP in Glendale; Anderson, Satuloff, Machado & Mendelsohn in Chatsworth; Valley Internal Medicine & Nephrology Medical Group in Van Nuys; NetGain in Westlake Village; Valley Breast Care & Women’s Health Center in Van Nuys; Southern California Orthopedic Institute in Van Nuys; American Medical Response in North Hollywood and Fonda & Fraser LLP in Glendale. Additional contributors were Wells Fargo Bank and the medical staff of Valley Presbyterian Hospital. Individual sponsors include Valley residents Albert L. Greene, president and David Fleming, chairman of the board of Valley Presbyterian Hospital. When the funds are tallied, the foundation hopes to exceed the $200,000 raised last year from the event. -Barbara Sheppard BofA Benefit Bank of America was among the sponsors for the seventh-annual president’s dinner benefiting California State University Channel Islands Foundation. The event was held at the Air Force One Pavilion of the Ronald Reagan President Library in Simi Valley. The president’s dinner is the school’s premiere fundraising event of the year. This year’s gala included a live auction and a raffle of a 2007 Chevrolet Corvette. Another greater Valley sponsor was Children’s Dental Group with locations in Simi Valley, Camarillo and Thousand Oaks.