The Marine Retailers Assn. of America...

The Marine Retailers Assn. of America recently elected J.R. Means

III of Bayport Yachts in Newport Beach Director of Region 10 for

2003. ... The International Council of Shopping Centers, a

not-for-profit global trade association of the shopping center

industry, recently awarded the professional designation Certified

Leasing Specialist to Richard W. Hatem of The Irvine Co. in Newport

Beach. ... Sean Moss, a 1998 graduate of Newport Harbor High School

and son of Costa Mesa residents Ron and Gayle Moss, graduated from

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in December with a bachelor’s degree in city

and regional planning and a minor in economics. ... Ribapharm, a

biopharmaceutical company in Costa Mesa, announced the appointments

of William M. Comer Jr. to chief financial officer and Mel D. Deutsch

to general council. ... Christopher Hildreth, 50, has been appointed

senior vice president, director of sales, at American Vanguard

Corporation in Newport Beach. ... Eric Wintemute, president and CEO

of American Vanguard, was interviewed by Bloomberg Forum. ... Bernard

J. Luskin, former Orange Coast College president, has been appointed

director of the new media studies PhD. Program in the School of

Psychology of the Fielding Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara. ...

Pam Cromer of Newport Beach traveled to the island of Crete as a

volunteer with Global Volunteers. She was team leader of 22

volunteers, teaching conversational English to people in the town of

Rethymo. It was her 10th time as a volunteer with the program, and

seventh as team leader. ... Brad Saunders of Morgan Stanley in

Newport Beach was given the State Chair Award by the Employer Support

of Guard and Reserve Organization for going above and beyond when he

extended benefits to employees called upon for Operation Noble Eagle

as national guardsmen, and active reservists after Sept. 11. The

employees coverage for dental, health and partial pay was extended

from three months to 18 months while away on active duty. ...

Syracuse University sophomore Christine Chamberlain of Costa Mesa was

named to the Dean’s List for fall 2002 for achieving a 3.4

grade-point average in the school of education. ... Christine Fulcher

and Tara Gallegos of Newport Coast won more than $14,000 on Wheel of

Fortune during teen best friend week. ... Brittany Cornelius ,16, of

Costa Mesa, and Quenby Hersh, 14, of Newport Beach were among the 100

chosen as semifinalists for the Music Center’s spotlight awards

program. They were chosen out of 828 Southern California high school

students who auditioned in the Spotlight Awards performance.

Cornelius for nonclassical voice, and Hersh for ballet.

* NEIGHBORS spotlights achievements in the community. Please

direct noteworthy information to Coral Wilson by fax at (949)

646-4170, or send e-mail to coral.wilson@latimes.com.