O. C. BUSINESS PLUS : ORANGE COUNTY NEWSMAKERS : Scheussler Promoted at Smith Micro

Smith Micro Software Inc. named Robert W. Scheussler chief operating officer and senior vice president. Most recently, Scheussler was senior vice president and chief technology officer. He is also a member of the company’s board. David P. Sperling becomes chief technology officer and vice president of engineering. He most recently was the Aliso Viejo company’s director of software engineering.

* James Gardner becomes chief financial officer of SRS Labs Inc. in Santa Ana. Gardner was chief financial officer of Cherokee International LLC in Tustin.

* Dana P. Nickell has been named CFO of Tustin-based Commonwealth Energy Corp. He succeeds Eric Juarez, who was named chief operating officer. Nickell has held senior management positions with several companies and was with major and local accounting firms for 13 years, the company said.

* Terry Shindle has been appointed vice president of operations for Coco’s restaurants in Irvine. He joined the company from Discovery Zone, where he was vice president of operations, responsible for 200 facilities in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. Shindle has also been regional director of operations for Boston Market and executive vice president of operations for Bakers Square Restaurants.

* Debby Morris has joined Caliber Collision Centers in Irvine as vice president and chief financial officer. She succeeds Peter Richter, who has moved to the East Coast to pursue other interests. Morris had been with CB Richard Ellis for 18 years, most recently as executive vice president, global integration. Before holding that position, Morris was senior vice president and chief accounting officer.

* Stephen E. Godfrey has been appointed to the newly created position of vice president for the Horita Co. Inc. in Mission Viejo. Godfrey previously held senior management positions at Samsung America, FutureVideo, Comprehensive Video, Nortronics and Bib Audio/Video Products Ltd.

* Gail H. Knopf has been appointed vice president of e-commerce solutions for the TriZetto Group in Newport Beach. Knopf joined TriZetto following its recent acquisition of Management & Technology Solutions, where she had been executive vice president and chief information officer. She was formerly vice president and chief information officer of Humana Inc.

* Robert A. Ettl has been appointed chief information officer for Pacific Investment Management Co., a unit of Pimco Advisors Holdings L.P. in Newport Beach. Ettl, who joined the company in 1995, was most recently executive vice president and chief operating officer of Pimco’s global unit.

* Joel Biales is the new director of finance for Frankel Southern California, the Irvine office of Chicago-based Frankel. He was formerly controller at 2CanMedia Inc. in Woodland Hills, and director of finance and controller at Ingalls Moranville Advertising LLC in San Francisco.

* Cambria Morgan is the new public relations account coordinator at RiechesBaird Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations in Irvine. She was formerly development/public relations manager for Northland Family Help Center in Flagstaff, Ariz.