Restorative Remedies, which offers natural supplement products, has appointed Jackie Townsend as its CEO. Townsend is a one-time member of the Restorative Remedies board of directors, and most recently served as an executive vice president at JHG.
She founded The Townsend Agency, which was acquired by JHG in 2007. She has earned a variety of honors, including the U.S. Small Business Administration award for the Small Business Entrepreneur of the Year, finalist for Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year, and Best Strategic Planning Process from the National Strategic Planning Association.
Townsend has also been a member of the board of trustees for The National University System since 2004 and provided leadership within the Audit and Development committees.
BANKING AND FINANCE
Union Bank, N.A., has named Brian Gemmell vice president and branch manager of its Sorrento Valley office. Gemmell will be responsible for managing the branch’s team of bankers, supporting its existing customer base while increasing the client roster by fostering relationships with consumers and small businesses throughout San Diego County. Most recently, he worked as a senior client manager for Bank of America’s Premier Banking and Investments. He holds the series 6 and 63 securities licenses, and also serves as a life and health agent. Gemmell is also chairman for the American Cancer Society Relay for Life of Escondido.
Grant Thornton’s San Diego office has promoted Jennifer Edwards to advisory services manager. She has experience in internal and external auditing, internal risk assessments, and information security management. Edwards has worked in a variety of industry sectors, including manufacturing, biosciences, technology, banking, security and defense, and insurance. She’s also a certified information systems auditor and an active member of the Information Systems Audit and Control Association, the Institute of Internal Auditors, the San Diego Venture Group and the Junior League of San Diego.
EDUCATION
Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District Governing Board President Bill Garrett has been appointed president of the San Diego-Imperial Counties Community Colleges Association Board Alliance. He’s been a GCCCD board trustee since 2004 and an active member of the Board Alliance since 2008. Before serving as a board trustee, Garrett was a member of the district’s Proposition R Citizens Bond Oversight Committee and president of the Cuyamaca College Foundation.
GOVERNMENT AND NONPROFIT
The California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce has named Mayté Rodríguez Cedillo the 2009 Business Woman of the Year. She’s the CEO and publisher of Mexico Traveler Magazine and Baja Traveler Magazine of Traveler Publications.
The San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce has named new and returning members to the board of directors for 2010. New board members are: Al Silva, principal, Life Investors; Dee Deane, owner and publisher, The East County Herald; Evonne Darby, hotel sales manager, Barona Valley Ranch & Casino; and Guy Gonzales, principal, Western Financial Planning. Returning members are: Renae Arabo, independent business consultant; Newell Bowen, owner, Bowen Printing; Les Hart, community relations, Waste Management; Doug Murphy, owner, Murphy’s Creativity; and Anita Norton, director of marketing and community development, Sycuan Casino.
HEALTH CARE
Ed Martinez, CEO of San Ysidro Health Center, has joined the California Alzheimer’s Disease Task Force. He recently participated in a conference at Princeton University and has participated in the Access to Dental Care Summit hosted by the American Dental Association and its Council on Access, Prevention and Interprofessional Relations.
Dr. Adela Marie Greeley has joined the Internal Medicine Department at Sharp Rees-Stealy Chula Vista. She’s completed her internship and residency at UC San Diego and has been practicing at Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group for two years.
HOSPITALITY
Pala Casino Spa & Resort has hired George Arsenis as its poker manager. He holds 13 years of poker experience and will be responsible for overseeing poker operations, assisting in the room design, hiring and training staff, promoting and conducting tournaments, and generating internal controls and procedures. Most recently, Arsenis worked as poker manager at the Mountaineer Casino and Resort in West Virginia.
The San Pasqual Casino Development Group has named Bruce Howard general manager of Valley View Casino. Howard held this position from 2003 to 2007, then left Valley View to serve as GM of The M Resort in Las Vegas. He has 23 years of gaming experience and most recently worked as the senior vice president and general manager of the Ameristar Casino Hotel Vicksburg in Mississippi.
LAW
The Nath Law Group has expanded locally to include Gulnaz Tursunbek and Brooks Gifford III in its Carlsbad office.
Tursunbek will serve as a trademark associate. She focuses on all aspects of trademark, unfair competition and copyright law, and will counsel clients on the availability, registration, policing and enforcement of trademarks.
Gifford is an associate patent attorney. He specializes in mechanical arts, software, business methods and design patents. His practice also includes patent prosecution and portfolio management, drafting patent applications, prosecuting applications before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, analyzing patentability and validity, providing litigation support and conducting patent due diligence.
MISCELLANEOUS
Spherion, a recruiting and staffing business, has hired Darren Burke as branch manager of its San Diego office. He will manage and develop its presence within the local market. Most recently, Burke served as branch manager at Volt Workforce Solutions, where he was responsible for overseeing business development and operations for retail and national accounts. He has also served as senior integrated account manager at Ikon Office Solutions.
The Printing Industries Association of San Diego has elected Chris Hamm as chairman of the board for his second term. Hamm is owner and president of Tabs Etc. Other officers elected to the board include: Greg Gould, owner/president of Eye/Comm, as vice chairman; Greg Steinke, sales and marketing manager of VQS Enterprises, as secretary/treasurer; and Boyd Richardson, president of RR Donnelley/Commercial Press Plant, as immediate past chairman.
PriceSpective, a management consulting firm that works with companies in the biopharmaceutical arena, has hired Dan Ross to open a San Diego office. He has nine years of experience working with health care companies in the areas of investment banking and strategic consulting. Ross will try to enhance PriceSpective’s pricing and reimbursement, forecasting and business development services. Previously, Ross served as the director in charge of the global life sciences licensing and valuation practice for Simon-Kucher & Partners.
The Jumpitz, a children’s entertainment group, has named Phyllis Schwartz its CEO. She has 30 years of experience in the entertainment industry. She’s received numerous awards, including the San Diego State University Monty Award and Alonzo Horton Award. Schwartz is also a member of the Rady Children’s Hospital Foundation board, and has served as a board member for the YMCA and American Heart Association.
REAL ESTATE
New Vista Asset Management has appointed Brian Hurley as its chief operating officer and president. He’ll be responsible for managing day-to-day operations for the firm and its national network of 400 real estate brokers, and leading the execution of new business initiatives. Hurley is a former president of Stewart Title of California, where he combined 24 operating divisions and four separate companies into a single corporate system. Before that, he served as president and CEO of The InterCity Cos.
SPORTS BUSINESS
The San Diego Padres have announced the appointment of Laura Broderick to senior vice president of brand development. Most recently, she served as global consumer e-commerce director for Dell, where she worked for 10 years, and brings a plethora of sales and marketing experience to her new role. Broderick has also worked in investment banking and private equity.
TECHNOLOGY
Overland Storage has named Christopher Gopal vice president of worldwide operations. He will manage its global supply chain and operations strategies, including product sourcing, manufacturing, inventory, logistics, fulfillment and demand/supply management. Gopal has 35 years of experience in directing, overseeing and transforming all aspects of supply chain, operations and product development. He has also acted as senior partner and director of Ernst & Young’s Global Supply Chain and Operations Consulting Services and served in executive positions at SAIC and Unisys.
— Molly Pappas
