TheBakersfieldCalifornian.com

ARUN PATEL and The Patel Team at Watson Touchstone ERA have earned national recognition from ERA Franchise Systems LLC. The team posted a total of 136.5 units last year, ranking 14th in the world. That result won the team an award at the 2010 ERA International Business Conference March 14-17 in Nashville, Tenn.

TARA HUGHES has been named to the Chairman’s Circle by Prudential Affiliates Inc., a Prudential Financial Inc. company. BELINDA CAPILLA and BRADLEY REESE JR. also earned special honors and were named to the President’s Circle and Dutch Toews, the Leading Edge Society. The awards recognize residential sales professionals who reach annual sales commission and units-sold goals.

THERESA OLSON has joined Coldwell Banker Preferred as a Realtor/broker associate at its Westwind Drive office. Olson has more than 25 years of experience in real estate, including new construction and management. She worked as sales manager at Kyle Carter/McMillin Homes, KW & Associates and Lennar Homes. She has a Graduate of Realtors Institute designation, and has been active within the Bakersfield Association of Realtors. She is also a director for the California Association of Realtors.

ESTHER BRANDON has been appointed to the board of directors at KVPT - Valley Public Television, representing Kern County. Brandon served as a commissioner of First Five, Kern from 2002 to 2008 and was a director for Temple Beth El Religious School from 1996 to 2007. A longtime Bakersfield resident, she has been involved in her family’s broadcasting business, American General Media.

TED JAMES has been appointed Kern County’s Resource Management Agency director. James has served in that position on an interim basis since Sept. 29. He headed the Planning Department for 19 years. James has been working closely with the county Board of Supervisors to restructure an agency that now oversees policies and operations of six departments: Animal Control, Community and Economic Development, Engineering and Survey Services, Environmental Health, Planning and Roads. He started in county government in 1982 as a senior planner, and became principal planner in 1986 before being named Planning Division chief in 1987. He earned a master’s degree in city and regional planning at Fresno State.

BETH HUGGINS has joined Bakersfield Senior Placement, a division of Interim HealthCare, as a senior placement coordinator. She has experience in marketing and as a rehabilitation/community liaison working with senior citizens.

HARRY O. STARKEY has been appointed general manager at West Kern Water District in Taft. Formerly the general manager at Berrenda Mesa Water District in western Kern County, Starkey is a registered mechanical engineer who earned a bachelor’s degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He has served as a leader and board member at organizations including the Kern Fan Monitoring Committee, Bakersfield Downtown Rotary, Agricultural Energy Consumers Association, Kern County Bar Association Fee Arbitration Committee and the Water Association of Kern County.

RON SMITH has been appointed western regional executive for BBVA Compass’s commercial banking unit. He replaces Rafael Bustillo, who was appointed head of commercial banking. In his new position Smith is to oversee commercial banking in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico and El Paso, Texas. He previously worked as BBVA’s Albuquerque city president, and before that he worked in various banking positions in Albuquerque, including marketing president, business banking manager, corporate banking manager and regional executive. He graduated from the University of New Mexico, and serves on the boards of Albuquerque Economic Development, Sandoval County Economic Development Foundation and other organizations.

People in Business announces new hires, promotions, awards, professional achievements and other business "people news" in Kern County. Submissions can be mailed to The Bakersfield Californian, business editor, P.O. Bin 440, Bakersfield, CA 93302; faxed to 395-7519; or e-mailed to business@bakersfield.com. Sorry, photos that are submitted cannot be returned. For information, call 395-7345 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.