Business briefs

The Public Employees Benefits Program Board has approved the appointment of Leslie Johnstone as executive officer, replacing Woody Thorne, who is retiring after five years.

Johnstone has a masters of business administration from Fresno State University. She worked for Fresno County and its school district for 16 years before moving to Nevada.

She began working with the benefits program in 2001 as chief financial officer.

She was an analyst for the Legislative Counsel Bureau for two years before returning to the benefits program in 2005 as chief operating officer.

KTVN hires Breen as morning anchor

KTVN Channel 2 has hired longtime Northern Nevada journalist Erin Breen for its "Channel 2 News This Morning."

She brings 25 years of Northern Nevada media experience, including 20 years of news anchoring and reporting and her award-winning "Family File" column in the Reno-Gazette Journal.

Breen will also serve as education reporter for the School Watch segments. "Channel 2 News This Morning" airs from 5-7 a.m. weekdays.

Edberg selected as UNR interim dean

Dana Edberg, an associate professor of information systems, has been named interim dean of the College of Business Administration at the University of Nevada, Reno.

She fills the role left vacant by Mike Reed, who left to become vice chancellor of finance and administration with the Nevada System of Higher Education.

As interim dean, Edberg will play a proactive role on several fronts, including fostering the growth of new initiatives and maintaining the strong relationships with the community established under Reed.

First restaurant in Tahoe Reno Industrial Center opens

The Wild Horse Saloon and Restaurant is the first facility to offer food service for breakfast, lunch and dinner to workers and tenants of the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center, 10 miles east of Sparks.

Martin Rodriguez, head chef, has hired four cooks: Hector Mendoza, formerly of the Alamo Truck Stop; Carmen Montelongo of Boomtown; Salome Perez of the Sienna; and Steve Hammill, with 15 years experience at the Peppermill and Harrah's.

The restaurant is open 8 a.m. to midnight, but will soon operate 24 hours a day.

It is at Waltham Way off the Patrick exit from Interstate 80.

Haas appointed as Cal Neva manager

Josef Haas has been appointed to the Cal Neva Resort Spa & Casino in North Lake Tahoe as the new general manager.

The native Austrian brings more than 43 years of hospitality industry experience.

He attended the Hotel College of Vienna, and has held various senior-level positions in the hospitality industry throughout Europe, Bermuda and the U.S, including 16 Sheraton Hotels in Hawaii.

Lecker-Pomaville named vice chair of State Service Commissions

The Association of State Service Commissions, a national organization dedicated to advancing community service, has named Shawn Lecker-Pomaville as vice chairwoman of its board of directors.

Lecker-Pomaville is executive director of the Nevada Commission for National & Community Service, Inc., a public-benefit corporation that engages Nevadans in AmeriCorps national service and volunteerism statewide.

She has served on the Association of State Service Commissions board for the last four years and is past chairwoman of the Public Policy Committee.

Pro-Dex expects sales growth of 23 percent for 3rd Q

Pro-Dex, Inc. (NASDAQ: PDEX), has announced that based on preliminary results for the year ended June 30, the company expects to report quarterly sales of $5.3 million, an increase of 27 percent, compared to the third quarter.

This is an increase of 22 percent, compared to the $4.4 million reported during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2005.

The company expects to report revenues of $17.1 million.