VALLEY BUSINESS : VALLEY PEOPLE

* Eddie Sotto, former senior vice president of concept design, Walt Disney Imagineering, Burbank, has joined Internet start-up Digital Entertainment Network, Santa Monica, as executive vice president, creative affairs.

Walt Disney Imagineering, a division of Walt Disney Co., creates theme parks and resorts. Digital Entertainment Network is a privately held interactive online network that targets youth through entertainment, cultural programming and e-commerce.

* Karen Gier has joined Net Effect Systems, North Hollywood, as chief financial officer, and David Gerken has joined as vice president of business development, reporting directly to Julie Schoenfeld, president and chief executive officer.

Gier most recently served as a senior manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers, working with Internet clients. Gerken served as vice president of business development and sales at Mirror Image Internet, a start-up caching services company.

Net Effect provides real-time text-based customer service capabilities for Internet commerce companies.

* John J. Deniken has been named chief executive officer of Nevada Manhattan Group Inc., Sherman Oaks, following the resignation of Richard H. Izumi, CEO and chairman of the board, the company announced.

Nevada Manhattan is a mining company.

* Rick Taylor has been appointed vice president of eService at Members Computer Source, Burbank. He will advise and direct credit-union clients on the transition into e-commerce, the company said. Before joining the firm, Taylor was vice president of technology for Los Angelse Police Federal Credit Union.

MCS supplies comprehensive computer systems, software and training to more than 400 credit unions and their members.

* Richard C. Schnell has joined Seeley Co., Los Angeles, as senior vice president. He had been executive vice president of Cushman Realty Corp., Los Angeles. Schnell will be responsible for managing the firm’s expansion into Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena.

Seeley is an employee-owned commercial real estate company with offices throughout Southern California.