People & Places: March 27

March 27, 2007

WellPoint announced Linda Jimenez as staff vice president of diversity leadership. In this position, Jimenez will be responsible for diversity-management strategies and programs nationwide, including providing strategic guidance around talent management and acquisition, multicultural marketing, diversity metrics and external branding as a national leader in diversity management.

Prior to the position, Jimenez served as president and CEO of her own consulting firm, Diversity & People Dynamics. She developed and implemented custom-designed human-relations processes, diversity training, management and leadership coaching, development programs, and assessment tools.

Jimenez also has held diversity positions with Accor North America, H-E-B Grocery Company, and Ross Products, a division of Abbott Laboratories, No. 30 on The 2007 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list. A native of San Antonio, Texas, Jimenez received her bachelor's degree in sociology and history from the University of Texas. She also holds a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law, Austin.

Jimenez currently serves on the advisory board for the Hospitality and Diversity Institute at the University of Houston and on the diversity advisory board for the School of Hospitality Management at Penn State University. In addition, she is a contributing member of the Minorities in Franchising Committee of the International Franchising Association.

The Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF) announced the appointment of Ted Y. Mashima as president and executive director. Before the appointment, Mashima served as associate director of the Center for Public and Corporate Veterinary Medicine at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine.

In this position, he was responsible for developing and managing veterinary career-development programs and identifying and securing financial support from government agencies, foundations and corporations.

He also served in a part-time capacity as director of development for The Barker Foundation, a nonprofit adoption agency in Maryland, where he supervised the management and implementation of the organization's fundraising efforts.

Prior to working with The Barker Foundation and the University of Maryland, Mashima was a consultant to the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. He was responsible for reviewing grant proposals submitted by nonprofit organizations. He also was a project director for the National Association of Physicians for the Environment.

Mashima has a bachelor's degree from the University of Hawaii and a doctorate from Colorado State University. He holds numerous leadership positions with veterinary medical organizations and serves on local and national diversity committees.

The Nielsen Company announced that Cheryl Pearson-McNeil has been named senior vice president, communications, ACNielsen U.S.

Before the appointment, Pearson-McNeil was vice president, communications and community affairs for Nielsen Media Research. She brings 21 years of experience in public relations, communications and writing and has worked in advertising, television, public affairs, the nonprofit sector and government.

In her previous position at Nielsen Media Research, Pearson-McNeil has held responsibilities for national advertising, government relations, community outreach, education and philanthropic initiatives.

Pearson-McNeil is the former press secretary for Chicago City Treasurer Miriam Santos, the first Latino elected official in Chicago. She is also a former director of station relations for WMAQ, the NBC television station in Chicago.

She holds a bachelor's degree in public relations from Purdue University and an MBA from the Keller Graduate School of Management.

Andrews Kurth LLP named Elizabeth A. Campbell as its chief diversity officer. Campbell is a partner at the firm and will devote her efforts full time to overseeing the firm's diversity strategy. She also will serve as a member of a steering committee, overseeing all of the firm's work in the areas of recruiting, professional development and marketing.

Campbell has more than 25 years of experience in administrative and employment litigation both in law-firm and in-house counsel settings and has led human resources, employment relations and diversity strategies at large corporations.

Most recently, Campbell served as vice president of employment relations and corporate diversity officer for the ARAMARK Corporation in Philadelphia, Penn.

She received her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in Ann Arbor, Mich., and her bachelor's degree from American University in Washington, D.C.

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