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People in the News
STOCKTON March 27, 2009 12:01am 
• Bank names Central Valley chief • Seven new judges named • Honors for ag work and research • And more, many, many more…. 
Elaine Genevro
Annie Jones
Lorna Brumfield
Bryan Stainfield
David Moranda
Thadd Blizzard
Ben Davidian
Geoffrey Goodman
Louis Mauro
Zac Sweet
Charles Summers (Photo by Ed Remsberg, USDA)
• Elaine Genevro has been named market president for the Central California retail banking group, based in Fresno.
She’s one of five new regional market presidents throughout California.
Ms. Genevro joined Union Bank in 2003 as a senior vice president and regional manager for the Monterey Peninsula, which was later expanded to include San Jose. In 2007 she was named regional manager for the Priority Banking division.
Now based in Fresno, she has more than 30 years of industry experience, including more than 10 years of senior management experience with the former First Interstate Bank and 17 years in Bank of America’s branch network.
• Annie Jones has been appointed chairwoman of the Shingle Springs Tribal Gaming Authority, a unit of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians overseeing the development and operation of Red Hawk Casino near Sacramento.
A member of the tribe, Ms. Jones has been active in tribal government programs for many years having previously served as board chairwoman for the Shingle Springs Tribal Health Program and as a member of the tribal council.
• Lorna Brumfield has been named to a judgeship on the Kern County Superior Court by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Ms. Brumfield, 51, of Bakersfield, has served as a partner and previously an associate in the Law Offices of LeBeau-Thelen since 1998. She was an attorney for the Law Offices of Jack B. Hislop from 1990 to 1998, for Wagy, Bunker, Hislop & Lewis from 1986 to 1990 and for Bills & Price from 1983 to 1985.
She fills the vacancy created by the conversion of a court commissioner position on Jan. 1. Ms. Brumfield is a Democrat.
• Bryan Stainfield has been appointed to a judgeship on the Kern County Superior Court by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Mr. Stainfield, 48, of Tehachapi, has served as a deputy district attorney for the Kern County District Attorney’s Office since 2000. Previously, he was a deputy city attorney for the Oakland City Attorney’s Office from 1997 to 2000. From 1992 to 1997, Mr. Stainfield was an associate with Larson & Burnham and, from 1990 to 1992, he was an associate with LaFollette, Johnson, DeHaas, Fesler & Ames. Prior to that, Mr. tainfield served as a deputy district attorney for the Kern County District Attorney’s Office from 1987 to 1990 and was an associate with Clifford Jenkins & Brown from 1986 to 1987.
He fills the vacancy created by the resignation of Judge Catherine Purcell. Mr. Stainfield is a Republican.
• David Moranda has been appointed to a judgeship in the Merced County Superior Court.
Mr. Moranda, 56, of Merced, has served as chief deputy district attorney and previously deputy district attorney for the Merced County District Attorney’s Office since 1993. Prior to that, he served as a deputy district attorney for the Lake County District Attorney’s Office from 1987 to 1993, the Solano County District Attorney’s Office from 1985 to 1986 and the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office in 1981.
He fills the vacancy created by the conversion of a court commissioner position on Dec. 26, 2008. Mr. Moranda is a Democrat.
• Thadd Blizzard has been named to a judgeship with the Sacramento County Superior Court by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Mr. Blizzard, 54, of Sacramento, has served as a shareholder and previously was an associate for Weintraub, Genshlea, Chediak since 1987. Prior to that, he was an associate for Greenberg Cantor & Reiss from 1986 to 1987 and was with the Law Offices of Stuart Jackson from 1983 to 1986 and Grant, Hermann & Schwartz from 1980 to 1982. From 1978 to 1979, Mr. Blizzard was a judicial staff attorney for the California First District Court of Appeal.
He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Gail Ohanesian. Mr. Blizzard is a Democrat.
• Ben Davidian has been named to a judgeship with the Sacramento County Superior Court by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Mr. Davidian, 57, of Gold River, has been a sole practitioner since 2005. He was a partner at Sweeney, Davidian & Greene from 2004 to 2005 and Bell, McAndrews, Hiltachk & Davidian from 1999 to 2004. From 1995 to 2000, he was of counsel for Wilke, Fleury, Hoffelt, Gould & Birney and, from 1980 to 1987, he was an associate, then partner for Wilke, Fleury, Hoffelt, Gould & Birney.
He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Gerald Bakarich. Mr. Davidian is a Republican.
• Geoffrey Goodman has been named to a judgeship with the Sacramento County Superior Court by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Mr. Goodman, 57, of Sacramento, has served as a partner for Nossaman since 2008 and for Murphy Austin Adams Shoenfeld from 1999 to 2008. In 1998, he was partner at Diepenbrock Wulff Plant & Hannigan and, from 1992 to 1998, he was a supervising assistant U.S. attorney for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California. Mr. Goodman was a deputy attorney general, then a senior assistant attorney general for the California Attorney General’s Office from 1984 to 1991.
He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Patricia Esgro. Mr. Goodman is a Democrat.
• Louis Mauro has been named to a judgeship with the Sacramento County Superior Court by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Mr. Mauro, 48, of Carmichael, has served as the chief deputy legal affairs secretary for the Office of Legal Affairs for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger since 2006. He worked for the California Attorney General’s Office from 1994 to 2006 where he served as a senior assistant attorney general, supervising deputy attorney general and deputy attorney general. Mr. Mauro was an associate for Boutin Gibson Law Firm from 1993 to 1994 and for Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher from 1988 to 1993.
Mr. Mauro fills the vacancy created by the conversion of a court commissioner position on Oct. 1, 2008. He is a Democrat.
• Zac Sweet has been hired by the Buzz Oates Group of Companies in Sacramento as vice president, real estate agent.
Mr. Sweet's primary responsibilities will include sales and leasing for company's portfolio of industrial, office and retail product.
Before joining the Buzz Oates Group of Companies, Mr. Sweet was with CB Richard Ellis where he was an industrial specialist representing landlords and tenants in leasing and sale transactions. Prior to that, he was with Colliers International where he began his career with the Central Valley Industrial Group.
• Destie Overpeck has been named acting chief deputy administrative director of the Division of Workers’ Compensation in the California Department of Industrial Relations.
She replaces Chief Deputy Administrative Director Carrie Nevans, who is on personal leave.
Ms. Overpeck has served as the DWC’s chief counsel since 2005, where she has overseen the implementation of a wide variety of regulations and administrative processes.
From 2000 through 2005, Ms. Overpeck worked for the DWC as an Industrial Relations Counsel.
• Jeff Sorrell has been named regional manager in Bakersfield for Vanguard Cleaning Systems Inc., a commercial cleaning company.
Mr. Sorrell has been awarded the master franchise for the area.
He joins Vanguard after a 15-year career as owner/president of Accurate Appraisal Services. Prior to owning Accurate Appraisal Services, he was in the real estate industry for 10 years.
• Charles Summers, a University of California entomologist whose career spans 39 years in the pest management of field and vegetable crops, is the winner of the Charles W. Woodworth Award from the Pacific Branch of the Entomological Society of America.
Mr. Summers, stationed at the UC Kearney Agricultural Center in Parlier since 1970, and a member of UC Davis Department of Entomology faculty since 1992, will receive the award at the branch’s 93rd annual meeting, set March 29-April 1 in San Diego.
Throughout his career, Mr. Summers has worked to solve pest problems impacting California agriculture. He has conducted field studies in the Central Valley from Chico to Bakersfield, working with 15 different field and vegetable crops, more than 20 different insect pests and their natural enemies, and at least 10 insect-vectored diseases.
“The award recognizes his contributions to entomology over the last 10 years but in reality it is for a career of meaningful work,” says Pacific Branch President Walt Bentley.
Five women representing Fresno, Kings, Merced and Tulare counties have been selected as the 2009 honorees for the Common Threads Award, which recognizes women from the San Joaquin Valley for their agricultural, philanthropic and community service.
They are:
• Barbara Burroughs of Denair. Ms. Burroughs is an active partner with her husband, Bruce, in the family’s Sierra Vista Dairy and farming operations. She is cited, in part, for involvement in Merced County youth activities, including as a leader of the 4-H Program.
• Ophelia “Buzz” Fisher Burtner of Strathmore. Ms. Burtner has played an active role in citrus industry leadership as a member of the Strathmore Packinghouse Association’s board of directors, served on the Tulare County Citrus Exchange and was on the Sunkist Growers’ Member Advisory Committee.
• Vinci Ricchiuti Fresno. Ms. Ricchiuti has managed to bridge her passion for agriculture, education, and healthcare with her philanthropic endeavors. Her involvement ranges from corporate boardrooms to fundraisers to promoting local agricultural products throughout the San Joaquin Valley. The family owns P-R Farms Inc. of Clovis, which specializes in almonds and fruit.
• Sally Sharer of Clovis. Ms. Sharer has volunteered with the Fresno-Kings Counties CattleWomen and Fresno County Farm Bureau’s Ag in the Classroom Program, sharing information about beef production with students and teachers from throughout Fresno County. The Sharer’s have also opened their ranch to a classroom, inviting the students and teachers to the cattle operation to see first-hand how to sort, brand, weigh cattle and to discuss cattle breeds and nutrition.
• Loretta Cardoza Toledo of Hanford. Ms. Toledo became involved in 4-H and FFA through her three children. She has served as a community leader of the Delta View 4-H and as vice president of the Hanford Union High School FFA Boosters. After the death of their son Brock in a farm accident, Ms. Toledo poured her energy into the clubs and organizations of her son. She and her husband also established the Brock Jarrett Toledo Memorial Scholarship in 1996, recognizing a graduating high school senior who shared Brock’s enthusiasm and 4-H work ethic, as well as his love of the dairy industry.
Common Threads is a collaboration among Ag Leadership, California State University, Fresno’s College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, and Fresno State’s Ag One Foundation.
• Eduardo (Ed) Baer has been named to the board of directors of Firstgold Corp. (OTCBB: FGOC) of Cameron Park.
Mr. Baer is former president and CEO of European Goldfields Ltd., an AIM London Stock Exchange and TSX listed mineral exploration company. He has also served as precious metals analyst for Toronto-based Octagon Capital.
• Vanessa Whang has been hired as general counsel by the Foundation for California Community Colleges. It’s a newly created position that will oversee the Foundation’s corporate legal initiatives.
Ms. Whang joined the Foundation from the Sacramento office of Carlton, DiSante & Freudenberger LLC, where she was a partner for over three years and oversaw the Foundation’s legal matters on a consultant basis.
Earlier, Ms. Whang worked as an associate with Porter, Scott, Weiberg & Delehant for four years, where she practiced law as a generalist and represented a number of public entities.
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