Rolling Hills resident Donald E. Banker has...

Rolling Hills resident Donald E. Banker has been elected third vice president of the International Assn. of Lions Clubs. Banker, an insurance broker, is a member of the board of directors of the Harbor City Chamber of Commerce.

Dr. Jess Burnham-Ranker has been named Rotarian of the Year by Redondo Riviera Rotary. As Rotary area director of fund raising for Polio Plus, he is credited with helping seven South Bay Rotary clubs collect cash or pledges of $194,390, $50,000 of which was raised by the Redondo Riviera unit. The money helped Rotary International raise $120 million to immunize Third World children against polio and five other childhood diseases.

Douglas W. Lehnhoff has been appointed vice president and administrator of Bay Harbor Rehabilitation Center in Torrance. Lehnhoff has 12 years’ experience at skilled nursing facilities, most recently as administrator at Oceanview Convalescent Hospital in Santa Monica.

Rancho Palos Verdes Councilwoman Jacki Bacharach has been named Woman of the Year by the Los Angeles Chapter of Women’s Transportation Seminar, a national organization of transportation professionals. Bacharach is a member of the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission, representing 85 cities in the county, and is an active member of the Transit and Government Relations and Finance committees. She is a member of the Southern California Assn. of Governments (SCAG) Executive Committee and is active in numerous other government and community associations.

The Rev. James K. Brewster is the new pastor at Alondra Park United Methodist Church, replacing the Rev. Tricia Farris, who has been appointed to University Methodist Church. Brewster graduated from San Jose State University and spent one year at San Francisco Theological Seminary. He worked for 19 years at Northrop Corp. in Hawthorne before deciding to enter the ministry. He graduated from the School of Theology at Claremont in 1985 and was ordained this June.

Myra Diamond was seated as the new president of the Southern Region Federation Council, United Jewish Fund, during ceremonies in the Jewish Community Building in Torrance. Serving with Diamond during the coming year will be Herb Sostek, chairman of United Jewish Fund campaign; Bruce Ross, community relations committee; Miriam Ackermann, Jewish education, and Judy Sommerstein, board development. The installing officer was Rabbi Ron Shulman of Congregation Ner Tamid.

Rolling Hills City Council member Gordana Swanson is the new board president of the Southern California Rapid Transit District. As a member of the 11-member RTD board, she represents nearly a score of beach cities and 1 million people. As board president, she presides over the nation’s largest all-bus transit system.

Three South Bay women received Leadership Awards at a recent meeting of the Women’s Conference, Southern Region Jewish Federation Council. Awardees are Shirley Thorrens of Redondo Beach, Bonnie Cohen Leopold of Manhattan Beach and 87-year-old Betty R. Kraus of Torrance, who was honored for her work on behalf of Women’s Conference, United Jewish Fund, the Del Amo chapter of Women’s Organization for Rehabilitation Through Training and other community organizations. Nancy Banning Call, co-chairman of the Friends of Banning Park, presented the Banning Residence Museum Service Award to Teresa Antrim and posthumously to Rod Antrim at the annual Awards Day held at the residence. The Nancy Banning Call Leadership Award was presented to Brigette Auberlen. Bernice Klohr was seated as chairman of the Friends of Banning Park.

Inglewood High School graduate Nihal Sarikaya has received the 1988 Kaiser Permanente Excellence in Health Sciences Award. Sarikaya’s project, “Etiology of PMS As It Relates to Electrolytes,” won her a $250 scholarship and wall plaque. She plans to enter USC in the fall and pursue a career in medicine.

The El Segundo Employers Assn. has been asked to serve on the recently formed County of Los Angeles’ Traffic Reduction and Free Flow Committee. The association will be represented by its executive director, Donald H. Camph. The Employers Assn. is a coalition of major employers in the South Bay dedicated to improving the efficiency of the transportation system in and around the El Segundo employment center.

Ted O. Porter, area manager for Southern California Edison Co., is the recipient of the George H. Whittlesey Memorial Award, presented by the Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce at the recent President’s Gala and Installation Banquet. Former Torrance City Councilman Dick Rossberg received the Distinguished Citizen Award, and Jean Clawson, owner of Southwest Printing and Lithograph, received the J. Walker Owens Award.