Bell Joins Topa Equities as VP

* Darren Bell has joined Topa Equities, a Century City-based diversified investment firm, as vice president with responsibility for the firm’s office and retail leasing portfolio. He previously served as regional leasing director for Lowe Enterprises in Brentwood.

* Heidi Schweizer has been named senior manager of marketing communications for the Digital Information Technology Division of Samsung Electronics America Inc. in Irvine.

* Hill & Knowlton Executive Vice President Ron Hartwig has been named chairman of the company’s California operations and director of its U.S. corporate practice.

He will be succeeded as general manager of the firm’s Los Angeles office by Bonnie Goodman.

* Brian Carmichall has been promoted to director of design and construction for El Pollo Loco, the Irvine-based fast-food restaurant operator.

* Garry E. Adams has been named vice president and director of real estate and construction for Aaron Brothers Art & Framing. Based in Commerce, he will oversee development of the company’s 143-store chain in eight states. Adams is a former national director of real estate for Kinko’s.

* Rick Martinez has joined Rexford Industrial as a principal in the Los Angeles-based real estate acquisition and development firm.

* Steve Hotz has been named chief technology officer of New.net, a Sherman Oaks-based domain name registry. He is a founding executive of UltraDNS.

* Bob Marchant has joined executive search firm DHR as executive vice president in its Los Angeles office. He is a former principal at Korn/Ferry International with expertise in the retail and consumer products industries.

* George Macias has joined Associated Production Music as national sales manager. APM is a joint venture of EMI and Zomba Music and provides production music to the entertainment industry.

* Jeff Gober has joined Latex International West as sales manager. The company is a La Mirada-based division of Latex International, a maker of latex form products.

* Mireille Staub has joined the national chief information officers partnership of Tatum CIO Partners in the Orange County area.

* Joe Franzetta has joined GoldPocket Interactive as senior vice president of corporate development and strategic partnerships. He will oversee the Los Angeles company’s West Coast business development efforts.

* Teresa Spraggins has been promoted to underwriting manager and Gail Novelich has been promoted to vice president of RIC Insurance General Agency Inc., a Tustin-based commercial insurance concern.

* Pat Flaherty has been named district manager of the Ontario office of Administaff Inc., a Los Angeles-based personnel management company.