People and Places: Jan. 2

January 02, 2007

Denny's appointed Louis Laguardia vice president of talent acquisition and diversity.

In this newly created position, Laguardia will oversee Denny's diversity efforts. Before this appointment, Laguardia worked at Frito-Lay North America, part of PepsiCo, No. 18 on The 2006 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity^® list, as vice president of staffing and diversity.

Additionally, he held several senior-managerial positions at American Express Consumer Card Group (American Express is No. 30 on the Top 50), H.E.B Grocery Company and Blockbuster. Laguardia has more than 25 years of experience in human resources, diversity and general management, and he once was president and CEO of a privately owned group that specialized in HR consulting.

Laguardia earned his master's degree in industrial psychology from Stevens Institute of Technology and a doctorate from New York University in research and measurement.

First Bank of Delaware promoted Alonzo J. Primus to president and chief operating officer.

Primus worked as executive vice president for the National Consumer Products division of the bank and served as its senior vice president of finance and human resources and chief accounting officer for both First Bank of Delaware and its former parent company, Republic First Bancorp. Prior to his work at First Bank of Delaware, Primus worked at Summit Bank and CoreStates Bank.

He holds a bachelor's degree from Temple University and is a CPA in the state of Pennsylvania.

Jorge Valencia was appointed executive director of Point Foundation, a national nonprofit foundation that supports the academic achievements among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth in higher education.

Previously, Valencia worked for six years as the executive director of The Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization that operates a suicide-prevention helpline for gay youths.

Besides Valencia's position change, Point Foundation also transferred its base of operations to Los Angeles.

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