Mitsubishi Names Ellen Gleberman Senior VP

* Ellen Gleberman has been appointed senior vice president and general counsel, government and external affairs for Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America Inc. in Cypress. She had been vice president and general counsel. Gleberman will be responsible for the coordination of government and public-affairs issues among the Mitsubishi Motors Corp. U.S. companies. She will remain a member of the board of directors and corporate secretary.

* Ralph Gabai has been named to the newly created position of senior vice president of marketing for Printronix Inc., an Irvine printer manufacturer. Gabai, a member of the board of directors since 1988, has stepped down from the board to assume the new position. Chris Whitney Halliwell will fill the board vacancy. Gabai had been president and chief executive of MicroNet Technology Inc. in Irvine. Halliwell currently is principal of Chris Halliwell Technology Consulting and the marketing instructor for the executive education curriculum at the Caltech Industrial Relations Center in Pasadena. Before starting her own consulting business, she was managing partner at Regis McKenna Inc.

* Ava Petrucci has been appointed senior vice president and chief information officer of Eldorado Bank in Tustin. She formerly was vice president, information services, for the bank.

* Lawrence M. Higby has been elected to the board of directors of Ross Stores Inc. Higby is president and chief operating officer of Apria Healthcare Group Inc. in Costa Mesa.

* John K. Alstrom has joined Pacific Gulf Properties Inc. in Newport Beach as director of senior acquisitions. He will assume responsibility over all acquisitions for Pacific Gulf’s portfolio of rental communities for seniors 55 and older. Alstrom formerly was director of commercial development for the Allen Group, a real estate development and investment firm. He also has held executive positions with Diversified Developers Group, Pearson Realty, Charles Dunn Co., Hillman Properties West Inc., the Irvine Co., and John D. Lusk & Son.

* Bob Cardoza has joined Merit Association Services Inc. in Mission Viejo as association management and budget consultant. He had been in the finance division of Merit Property Management Inc. for more than 10 years.

* Valerie Williamson has been named to the newly created position of vice president, compliance for New Century Financial Corp., an Irvine specialty finance company. She had been assistant vice president of the compliance department.

* Ruben Simental has been named director of recruiting for NexGen SI Inc. in Irvine. Before joining the company, he was human resources director at Entex Information Services’ Western regional headquarters in Irvine and employment manager at Pacific Bell in San Ramon.

* Edgar F. Berner has been elected to the board of directors of Barbeques Galore Ltd. Berner, chairman and former chief executive of Sweet Factory Inc., a chain of candy stores, is the first outside U.S. director for the Australian company. He succeeds Philip Gardiner, who resigned after 10 years on the board. Barbeques Galore, a chain of specialty retail stores, owns and operates 33 stores in Australia and 41 stores in the U.S. Its U.S. base is in Irvine.

* Joe Herrera has joined El Torito Restaurants in Irvine as senior vice president of marketing. He previously was vice president of marketing for El Pollo Loco in Irvine. Herrera also has worked in the marketing departments of Denny’s, Hunt Wesson Foods and the Quaker Oats Co.

* Les Whitney has been appointed an executive consultant in the Newport Beach office of Management Action Programs, a management-consulting firm. Before joining the company, Whitney was president of TacStar Industries and Pachmayr Ltd.; president and founder of Global Connections International, and vice president of international marketing for Bianchi International.

* Lynn Howes has joined RiechesBaird Advertising in Irvine as a public-relations account executive. She previously worked for Jill Lloyd & Associates in Costa Mesa.

* Rick Ferguson has joined U.S. Labs in Irvine as vice president of business development. He previously was vice president of Western operations for American Pathology Resources, and later for Pathology Consultants of America Inc.

* George E. Arseneau has joined BAX Global in Irvine in the newly created position of senior vice president, human resources and administration. Before joining BAX, Arseneau was executive vice president, human resources, for Alliant Foodservice Inc., a food-service distribution company. He also has been responsible for human resources and corporate labor/employee relations at Ryder Systems Inc., and spent 20 years in human resources at General Electric Co.