Leppo Elected to HomeBase Board

Harold Leppo has been elected a director of HomeBase Inc., an Irvine-based operator of home improvement warehouses, increasing the size of the board to seven members. Leppo is principal of Harold Leppo & Co., a retail consulting firm based in Stamford, Conn. During his 40-year career, Leppo has held various executive positions at retail companies, including acting chief executive of J. Baker Inc.’s Casual Male and Work ‘n Gear divisions. He was executive vice president and chief merchandising officer for Allied Stores Inc., president and chief operating officer of Lord & Taylor, and senior vice president and general merchandising manager for Filene’s Department Stores.

Ken Hulbert and Dan Knudson have joined Daum Commercial Real Estate Services in Newport Beach as vice presidents of corporate services. For the past nine years, Hulbert worked for the Charles Dunn Co., and before that was president and chief executive of Burke, a Southern California commercial real estate firm. Knudson was formerly a broker with the Charles Dunn Co.

Al Gerk has been appointed to the newly created position of director of manufacturing, advanced ceramic operations for Ceradyne Inc. in Costa Mesa. He has more than 20 years of experience in advanced technical ceramics, holding engineering and manufacturing management positions.

Eric Schaefer has been named director of marketing communications for Autobytel.com Inc. in Irvine. Before joining the Internet car-buying service, he was with Nissan Motor Corp.

Taylor Butcher has joined Johnson Capital Group Inc. in Irvine as senior real estate analyst. He had been a loan underwriter with Impac Commercial Capital Corp.

James W. Valentine has been appointed budget director for the new South Orange County master-planned community of Ladera Ranch, being developed by Rancho Mission Viejo LLC. Valentine has been both a consultant to and employee of real estate firms, including Pacific Gulf Properties in Newport Beach.

Randolph Mancini has been named general manager of Borg-Warner Protective Services Corp.’s investigative and information services office in Anaheim. Before joining the company, he completed 26 years of service with the Los Angeles Police Department.

Mark Maricich has joined RiechesBaird Advertising in Irvine as the new business development account executive. He was formerly marketing manager for DirecTV in El Segundo and an account executive for Guzman Michaels Advertising and Public Relations in Irvine.

Lee J. Leslie has been named vice president and general counsel of Tricor Mortgage Lending in Huntington Beach. He was previously with the law firm of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP, where his practice focused on representation of emerging growth companies.

Leslie Ellis Carmichael has joined Right Management Consultants Inc. in Irvine as vice president-client services. She was previously manager-relocation services for Personalized Relocation Management Inc.

Michael K. Krouse has been reelected president of the Southern California chapter of Hospitality Sales and Marketing Assn. International. He is director of sales and marketing for the Doubletree Hotel Anaheim/Orange County. Krouse has also been reelected president of the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau’s Breakfast Club.

Lesley L. Walls has been elected to a one-year term as president of the National Board of Examiners of Optometry. He is president of Southern California College of Optometry in Fullerton.

Laurie T. Touchberry has joined Experian in Orange as marketing communications manager. She had been a senior marketing communications at Fluor Daniel in Irvine for eight years.

Roger Siboni has joined the board of directors of FileNet Corp. in Costa Mesa. He is president and chief executive of Epiphany Inc., and former chief operating officer of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP.

Michael Cortright has been named vice president of investor relations for Conexant Systems Inc., which will be an independent company in Newport Beach when Rockwell International Corp. spins off its semiconductor business to shareholders at the end of December. Cortright was previously director of business development for Rockwell Semiconductor Systems.

Brian Husting and Bradford McNamee have been named senior associates at Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo, Architects, Planners and Consultants in Newport Beach. Husting joined the firm in 1988 and was appointed associate in 1994. McNamee has been with the firm since 1987 and was elected associate in 1990.