Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation on March 29 named Pamela Barnes its president and chief executive officer. The Santa Monica-based foundation is dedicated to eradicating pediatric AIDS and providing care for children and families around the world living with HIV/AIDS. Since 2000, it has reached 1.7 million women with services to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV, and in the past two years has served 40,000 children and adults with life-saving care and antiretroviral treatment. Ms. Barnes, a graduate of Marymount College with an MBA from Fordham University, has been chief operating officer of the Foundation since November 2004; in addition, she has over 12 years of non-profit management experience, a mid-career stint as a Peace Corps volunteer in Paraguay and more than 20 years in investments and corporate finance at GTE and RCA in New York.
The LOHAS Forum, an annual gathering of thought and opinion leaders in the LOHAS arena (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability), announced April 3 that Steve Case, co-founder of AOL and chairman of Revolution Living, will speak at this year’s forum to be held at the Fairmont Hotel in Santa Monica on April 26-28. The “LOHAS 10” event, celebrating the Forum’s 10th anniversary, concerns the $228.9 billion U.S. marketplace for goods and services focused on health, the environment, social justice, personal development and sustainable living. www.lohas.com
A-Mark Precious Metals, Inc., a Santa Monica full service precious metals merchant in the global market, announced April 3 that it has launched Collateral Finance Corporation (CFC), a wholly owned subsidiary, to provide quick, short-term, collateralized financial loans to dealers, collectors and traders in the rare coin and bullion market. “The Professional Numismatists Guild estimates the retail market in rare U.S. coins exceeded $3 billion in 2005,” said Greg Roberts, President and CEO of A-Mark. “With our experience in collateral lending,” he explained, “we have formed CFC to meet the growing demand for capital to fund the investment in rare coins and bullion.”
Edmunds.com, Inc., the online resource for automotive information headquartered in Santa Monica, whose data, tools and services are used by over 15,000 car dealers, reported April 3 on average automotive manufacturer incentives in the U.S. The company’s monthly True Cost of Incentives (TCI) report (SM) is a comprehensive monthly report that measures automobile manufacturers’ cost of incentives on vehicles sold in the United States. Among vehicle segments, for example, the report shows that large SUVs continued to have the highest average incentives ($5,001 per vehicle sold) while sports cars had the lowest average incentives per vehicle sold at $1,012. www.Edmunds.com
Palisades Media Group, headquartered in Santa Monica, announced that it has reached an agreement with QuikDrop International to oversee all of its media/marketing buying and planning. In addition to direct response services, Palisades will provide QuikDrop with non-traditional media services, including strategic alliances and branded entertainment opportunities.
Mossimo, Inc. (Nasdaq: MOSS) announced April 3 an amended and restated license agreement with Target Corporation that extends the companies’ relationship through January 2010. Mossimo, a Santa Monica designer, licensor and distributor of men’s, women’s and children’s apparel, footwear and fashion accessories, also announced March 30 its financial results for the fourth quarter and the fiscal year ended December 31, 2005. Edwin Lewis, President and Co-Chief Executive Officer at Mossimo, said that he was pleased with the results, “which were driven primarily by increased sales at Target and improvements at Modern Amusement.”
Marshall House in Santa Monica has produced six guided meditation programs, available as CD albums or MP3 downloads. Jeanie Marshall, an Empowerment Consultant and Coach at Marshall House, says that the programs are suitable for anyone “regardless of meditation experience or lack of it” for “getting focused to jump-start your day, recharging and relaxing during a hectic day, or unwinding and preparing for a deep, restful sleep at the end of a day.” www.jmvoice.com
The Mirror invites information concerning new business ventures, significant developments, new product announcements, promotions or new management hires, financial results and the like. Email: terence@ smmirror.com; fax: 310.577.6515; U.S. Mail: Business Desk, Santa Monica Mirror, 725 Arizona Ave., #108, Santa Monica, California 90401