NEWSMAKERS.

Sylvia Castillo and Alicia Dixon are new program officers at The California Endowment in Woodland Hills, Calif. Castillo formerly served as research advisor for the James Irvine Los Angeles Urban Funders Fellowship. Dixon was the director for the San Diego County Department of Health and Human

Jennifer Dyer was recently appointed coordinator of donor relations of New York City-based Catholic Near East Welfare Association. Formerly, Dyer served as an analyst for the South East Asia team for Catholic Relief Services in Baltimore, Md.

Rex M. Ellis is the new vice president for the Historic Area of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in Williamsburg, Va. Ellis was serving as chairman of the division of cultural history and curator of African-American history for the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

John M. Fay was appointed vice president for development and executive director of the Akron Children's Hospital Foundation in Akron, Ohio. He was serving as director of development and campaign director of the Nation Air and Space Museum for the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.

Myles D. Fish is the new president and CEO of International Aid in Spring Lake, Mich. Previously, Fish served as senior vice president of ministry services for Prison Fellowship Ministries, based in Washington, D.C.

Jean Franczyk was recently appointed vice president of education of the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Franczyk previously served as manager of faculty training for Unext.com in Deerfield, Ill.

Randall Green is the new general manager of the Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet, Ill. He previously served as general manager for the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago.

James Guthrie was appointed president of the National Advertising Review Council, a 501(c)(6) located in New York City. Most recently, he has served as vice president, marketing promotion, for Primedia's Channel One, also based in New York City.

Suzanne E. Helm was recently appointed vice president for external affairs of the Gettysburg National Battlefield Museum Foundation in Washington, D.C. She most recently served as executive director of the Brookings Council for the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C.

Mary Luehrsen was appointed director of public affairs and government relations for NAMM-International Music Products Association in Carlsbad, Calif. She most recently served as program officer of the Texaco Foundation in White Plains, NY.

Helen Hilken McCarthy was appointed executive director of the National Lekotek Center in Evanston, Ill. McCarthy most recently served as executive director for Childcare Network of Evanston.

John P. Howe, Ill was recently appointed president and chief executive officer of Project Hope in Millwood, Va. Howe previously served as president of the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Marsha Lubick was recently appointed vice president, gift planning and major gifts of Sharp HealthCare Foundation in San Diego. Lubick previously served as executive director for the Friends of Vista Hill Foundation, also in San Diego.

Jan Martin is the new director of development and donor relations of Washington, D.C.-based The Humane Society of the United States. Martin served as director of major and planned gifts for the American Heart Association, based in Dallas.

Phillip Perry was appointed executive director of the Appalachian Christian Village Foundation in Johnson City, Tenn. Previously, Perry served as development director for the American Lung Association of Arkansas.

Jim Polcaro was recently appointed chief technology officer of the Enterprise Foundation in Columbia, Md. Polcaro previously served as vice president information technology for AMERICOM Wireless Services in Lutherville, Md.

Jeff Rembrandt was appointed Great Lakes regional director of Women's American ORT based in Cleveland. He previously served as assistant executive director for Meals on Wheels Programs & Services of Rock-land County, Inc. in Nanuet, N.Y.

Elisabeth Rhyne is the new senior vice president of ACCION International in Somerville, Mass. Rhyne previously served as director of the office of microenterprise development for the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Patricia Lozada-Santone is the new program officer of The California Endowment in Woodland Hills, Calif. Previously, she served on the faculty for San Diego State University's Colleges of Education.

Paul J. Strunk was appointed vice president for institutional advancement of The University of Scranton in Scranton, Pa. Most recently, Strunk served as vice president for alumni, development and university relations for Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

Dolores Swirin was recently appoint chief development officer of the Greater New York chapter of the American Red Cross. She was serving as the organizations, senior director of development before the promotion.

Michelle A. Wallace is the new deputy director and chief operating officer of Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service, Inc. (MPAS) in Lansing, Mich. Previously, Wallace served MPAS as its chief financial officer.

Thomas Wright was promoted to senior vice president of development of Providence, R.I.-based Johnson & Wales University. He was serving as the University's vice president of culinary education preceding the promotion.