THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, April 24, 1995 TAG: 9504220204
SECTION: BUSINESS WEEKLY PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: By Juanita Raisor
LENGTH: Long : 115 lines
TELEVISION
International Family Entertainment Inc., the Virginia Beach-based parent of The Family Chan nel, went outside the company for yet another senior hire - the third high-level recruit in 18 months. But the company lost another senior executive in the top-management reshuffling.
Rick Sirvaitis, who oversaw ad sales as executive vice president for Turner Broadcasting Sales Inc. at the CNN networks, will take the newly created job of president of advertiser sales at IFE and will be based in New York.
The move frees Steven D. Lentz, who had been in charge of ad sales as an IFE senior vice president, to focus on his other major duty: IFE's Cable Health Club network. Lentz was promoted to president of that network and will remain on IFE's executive committee. He'll be based in Virginia Beach.
And, Paul Krimsier will no longer be senior vice president for programming at IFE. He had been with the company since 1988 and helped establish The Family Channel. But his role was diminished in February when IFE hired Anthony Thomopoulos, president of Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television company, to oversee all programming. Thomopoulos is based in Hollywood.
IFE said it signed Krimsier to a non-exclusive program-consulting agreement and that he will pursue buying broadcast properties on his own.
BANKING
The Naval Air Federal Credit Union appointed Susan S. Verbeck vice president of retail and Ben Shumaker director of information systems in Virginia Beach.
Verbeck joined Naval Air in 1993, and previously help the positions of operations manager and director of retail.
Shumaker was information systems manager with Virginia Federal Credit Union in Richmond.
ENGINEERING
Stuart Bonnell joined Mary Ann Mijhares Engineering in Virginia Beach as senior associate and project manager. Bonnell was a project manager with Hassell & Folkes in Chesapeake.
DIRECT SALES
J. David Craig, president of AmeriComm Direct Marketing/-Virginia in Norfolk, was named president and chief operating officer for all AmeriComm operations.
The company has operations in Louisville, Ky., Denver, Col., and will have operations in Springfield, N. J. next month. With the addition of the New Jersey operations, AmeriComm will have access to 13 million addresses using resident labels in six Eastern states.
Craig, 33, joined the direct marketing company in 1984.
HOSPITALITY
Craig Larson was appointed general manager of the new Hampton Inn & Suites hotel under construction on Jefferson Avenue in Newport News. The hotel will offer standard guest rooms as well as two-room suites.
Larson has been with Hampton Inn, Embassy Suits and Homewood Suites for the past 11 years. The hotels are managed by the Victor Division Company of Lane Hospitality.
MEDIA
Michael Alston was appointed director of electronic business development with The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star. He will be heading up CareerWeb, Electronic Information Services, and the Relocation Connection for the newspapers.
Alston joined Landmark Communications in 1989. He most recently was director of business development for Landmark Community Newspapers in Shelbyville, Ky.
RAILROADS
The Norfolk and Portsmouth Belt Line Railroad Co. in Portsmouth promoted Leon Rodgers to facilities manager and Michael A. Martin to terminal superintendent.
Rodgers will be responsible for administering all of the railroad's real estate holdings. He has been with the belt line since 1971. His office is on Truxton Street in Chesapeake.
Martin has been with the railroad since 1961. He most recently served ad treasurer and assistant corporate secretary. He will continue to serve as the railroad's agent. He will be located at the Butt Street facility in Chesapeake.
P. Diane Sturtevant and Tony L. Hobbs were elected to replace Martin as treasurer and assistant corporate secretary, respectively.
Sturtevant has been with the line for 25 years, and most recently was director of management information systems. She will be located in Portsmouth.
And, Hobbs, whose 30-year career with the railroad began as an apprentice, was a staff assistant. He will support the corporate secretary in Portsmouth.
RETAIL
Chip Sharkey was named vice president of human resources with Lillian Vernon Corp. in Virginia Beach. Sharkey joined the catalog retailer in 1990, amd most recently was director of human resources.
Kathryn Meadows Buky was promoted from assistant manager to store manager with Karen Eagle After Five & Bridal in Virginia Beach. She joined the retailer in 1992. MEMO: Send information to Juanita Raisor, Business News, 150 W. Brambleton
Ave., Norfolk, VA 23510.
Please include: full names and titles of the person and company for both
the new and previous positions.
Photographs will be used as space permits, and cannot be returned.
We are unable to verify receipt of news releases or give a date when
they might appear in print.
ILLUSTRATION: Photos
Sirvaitis
Lentz
Krimsier
Verbeck
Schumaker
Craig
Larson
Buky
by CNB