Optum Software Names DeTate New Director of R & D

* Jack DeTate has been named director of research and development at Optum Software in Costa Mesa. He had been a senior program manager. Before joining Optum, DeTate was a project manager for Camber Corp. in Seal Beach, where he designed software systems for the California community college systems. He also previously worked as a systems developer for 17 years at Rockwell International Corp.

* Donald L. Blankenship has been elected to the board of directors of Fluor Corp. in Irvine. He is chairman and chief executive of A.T. Massey, Fluor’s investment in low-sulfur coal.

* Suzanne Viau Chamberlain has been appointed to the board of advisors of Chapman University School of Law. She is an attorney with the Newport Beach law firm of Chamberlain and Viau.

* Jerry W. Koch has joined Big City Bagels Inc. in Costa Mesa as vice president of operations. He was previously vice president of operations for Manchu Wok. Big City Bagels is an operator and franchiser of bagel bakery cafes.

* R. Gale Schluter has been appointed vice president and general manager of McDonnell Douglas Corp.’s space and defense systems operation. He is now responsible for all of McDonnell Douglas’ space systems programs, including its operations in Huntington Beach, Vandenberg and Monrovia, Calif.; Houston; Huntsville, Ala.; Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral, Pueblo, Colo.; and Seabrook, Md. Schluter succeeds Bill Olson, who is retiring. Schluter, who joined McDonnell Douglas in 1968, had been vice president and general manager of the unit’s space transportation business.

* Harvey Garte has formed Garte & Associates Inc., an Irvine firm representing buyers and sellers of businesses. He is co-founder and former president of Garte Torre Global Capital Markets.