Business Briefs
Sheri Lewis returns from a conference
Sheri Lewis, executive director of the Town of Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce, participated in the Western Association of Chamber Executives annual conference in Los Angeles, in February.
The conference supports the mission of WACE, which is to enhance and promote the professional growth and competence of executives from chambers of commerce in the western United States. This year's conference explored various new trends and strategies of interest to executives in today's changing times.
Local residents join Health Trust
The Health Trust, a nonprofit public charity concerned with improving the health and wellness of residents of the greater Santa Clara Valley, has recruited two new members to serve on its board of trustees: Edward M. Alvarez of Los Gatos and Lucy Lofrumento of the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Alvarez is an attorney, certified public accountant and principal of Alvarez Advisory Services. He is a member of the Santa Clara University board of trustees, the Role Model Foundation board of directors and the National Hispanic University board of trustees. Lofrumento is an attorney who recently joined the Silicon Valley Law Group, a business and technology firm.
Among the Health Trust's programs are school-based health centers, Meals-on-Wheels, Healthy Connections AIDS Services, Planetree Health Resource Center and the Community Wellness Program. It gives grants to local hospitals and community organizations and leads strategic initiatives that focus on health needs.
Real estate board names officers
The Silicon Valley Association of Realtors Board of Directors has named a new slate of officers and directors for 2000. Among them are three local representatives: president-elect, Jeff Barnett of Alain Pinel Realtors, Los Gatos; and directors, Larry Baldasano of Village Square Realty, Los Gatos, and Michael Nevis of Alain Pinel Realtors, Los Gatos.
The SVAR is a regional trade association of 3,000 members, and is an information resource for both real estate agents and consumers that provides education programs and training, Internet access, online networking, mediation programs and legislative advocacy.
New agent joins financial group
Susan L. Bianchini has recently joined the Kane Group of Los Gatos and serves as an enrolled agent and financial planner. Bianchini began her tax practice in 1978 and passed the U.S. Treasury's enrolled agent exam in 1984. Over the years, she was the manager of H&R Block's Executive Tax Service, the tax manager for a local CPA firm, and worked in the international finance department for Measurex. In 1996, she passed the Securities' Series 6 and 63, the Department of Insurance's life agent's exam and earned a variable annuity certification.
Police employee earns an award
Larry Brown, who has served as a civilian community service officer with the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department since 1986, earned the annual State Property Officer of the Year award at the March conference of the California Association of Property and Evidence. Brown was selected from more than 400 members of the association, who represent police and sheriff departments and district attorney's offices throughout the state of California.
Brown has managed the LGMSPD's property and evidence departments since 1994. He also serves on the crime scenes investigations team, which responds to major crimes to collect and process evidence. He is a past chairman of the CAPE Legislative Committee, the president of CAPE's Northern California chapter and chairman of the Santa Clara County Regional Association of Property and Evidence Managers.
A Place for Teens receives donation
Lee Fagot, president of A Place for Teens, popularly known as "The Outhouse," who was joined by student co-president Bret Bertocci, accepted a check on March 22, for $1,500. The check was presented by Larry Baldasano, president of Los Gatos' Village Square Realty Inc. and director of the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors, to A Place for Teens on behalf of the SVAR's Charitable Trust Foundation, a private public-benefit foundation funded by local SVAR Realtors.
Los Gatan's firm earns an award
At Novellus Systems' Annual Supplier Appreciation Day, held in April, Perfection Metal Products Inc. earned the company's Outstanding Service Award. Perfection finished 1999 with a quality record of 99.74 percent and an on-time performance record of 99.99 percent. This is the fourth award PMP, Inc. has earned from Novellus Systems in the past five years. PMP was founded by longtime Los Gatos resident W.K. Donnell and has been run by his son Gary since 1985.
Los Gatan joins Internet firm
Cloudwise, an Internet resource for start-up companies and growing businesses, has named Los Gatos resident Michael Daratony to serve as its chief strategy officer and its vice president of product management. A former strategist with Price Waterhouse Coopers, Daratony has also worked in finance and corporate strategy positions with General Electric and was the director of business and corporate development for Metricom, makers of the wireless Ricochet modem. He holds a master's degree in business from Harvard University.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
