Kevin Gilbert of Santa Ana has...

Kevin Gilbert of Santa Ana has been named executive chef at

Maggiano’s Little Italy restaurant in Costa Mesa and will oversee its

culinary operations. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America,

Gilbert will manage a 50-member staff and help develop new menu items

... Juan Rios of Newport Harbor High School received a $1,000 college

scholarship from the Ronald McDonald House Charities/Hispanic

American Commitment to Educational Resources scholarship program. He

and 149 other Southern California recipients were honored at a

scholarship luncheon sponsored by the McDonald’s Operators’ Assn. of

Southern California ... Newport Beach resident Ellen O’Brien was

named a United States National Award Winner in English, after she was

nominated for the award by Claudette Hallisey, her teacher at St.

Joachim School. Ellen will be recognized in the United States

Achievement Academy’s Official Yearbook ... Costa Mesa’s Gary Kipnis

has been named senior vice president and chief information officer at

Lindora Medical Clinics. He’ll oversee the expansion of the company’s

Internet programs and manage partnership opportunities for the

company’s WeighTrac patient management technologies. Kipnis

co-designed the Tokos Term Guard Monitor for pregnant women and

recently operated his own consulting company, Kipnis Technology Group

... Orange Coast College named Paul Michael Asim the new dean of the

social and behavioral sciences division. Asim replaces Dick E. Marsh,

who retired last year after 26 years at the position, and will

oversee 36 full-time professors, 55 adjunct instructors and several

classified staff members.

* NEIGHBORS spotlights achievements in the community. Please

direct noteworthy information to Jeff Benson by fax at (949)

646-4170, or send e-mail to jeff.benson@latimes.com.