February 10, 2017 | Page 13
BEVERLY HILLS RETURNING TO YOUR ROOTS—Preschool teacher Pam Trank and former Roxbury Park preschooler Isabella Robakowski enjoyed a reunion this past week when Isabel came to see her former teacher. The photo is Trank and Robakowski in 2006. Isabella graduated from the Beverly Hills Roxbury Park Preschool Class and is now a 10th grader at Newberry Park.
Six Investment Professionals Join Local Morgan Stanley Offices By John L. Seitz Morgan Stanley Wealth Management has announced that The SPM Group, a Beverly Hills/Woodland Hills’ team of six investment professionals, has joined its local offices to serve individual and high net worth clients. Managing Directors and Sports/Entertainment Directors Alan Solursh and David Pollock, and Executive Director and
Sports/Entertainment Director Shadi Mullin make up the group along with Jordan Justman, Wealth Management associate; Hayley Le, senior registered associate; and Adele Mussry, senior registered associate. They join from JP Morgan Securities. “The SPM team is a great fit for Morgan Stanley, and we are very pleased to welcome them to the firm,” said Managing Directors Robert Perry and Brian Krueger.
American Society For Yad Vashem Opens Permanent Office In L.A. By Laura Coleman Since its founding in Jerusalem 64 years ago, Yad Vashem the Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority, has become synonymous with Holocaust remembrance throughout the world. The American Society for Yad Vashem (ASYV) established in 1982 and as of this year, L.A. how has its own permanent ASYV office. “For me, Yad Vashem represents one of the most important institutions of Jewish life in the world,” said William S. Bernstein, who was tapped to be the first Western Region director of Institutional Advancement for ASYV. Bernstein added: “Educating the next generation concerning this horrific period in our history, I believe, can contribute to a greater appreciation of human rights and the respect for the
dignity of all men and women throughout the world. We have an important mission to fulfill and I am looking forward to working with our Los Angeles friends and supporters to achieve our goals and objectives.” The society’s first permanent office outside of New York City is historic–and it’s also a reflection of the hundreds of committed donors to ASYV who live in the area. In addition to an annual June Benefit gala, ASYV offers a wide array of programs and projects designed to inform and educate donors on the continued development of Yad Vashem. A priority for the Los Angeles office will be to reach out, strengthen ties, and build on-going relationships in the community. For more information, visit: www.yadvashem.org.
Beverly Hills Man Pleads Guilty To `PayTo-Stay' Schools Fraud Scheme A Beverly Hills man who owned and operated a network of four vocational schools pleaded guilty Thursday to running a fraud scheme to collect millions of dollars from foreigners who came to the United States on student visas but never studied. Hee Sun “Leo"”Shim, 53, entered his plea in Los Angeles federal court to felony counts of conspiracy and visa fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. A June 5 sentencing hearing was set. The enterprise – which may have generated as much as $6 million a year for Shim and two co-defendants – involved three schools in Koreatown: Prodee University/Neo-America Language School; Walter Jay M.D. Institute, an Educational Center; and the American College of Forensic Studies; and Likie Fashion and Technology College in Alhambra,
authorities said. Shim's plea agreement requires him to forfeit property and proceeds derived from the scheme. The investigation began in 2011 after a compliance team from Homeland Security Investigation's Student and Exchange Visitor Program paid an unannounced visit to Prodee's main campus on Wilshire Boulevard. During the visit, the team observed only one English language class with three students in attendance, even though immigration records showed more than 900 foreign students were enrolled at the university's two campuses. Prosecutors said the conspiracy also involved the creation of bogus student records, including transcripts, for some of the students for the purpose of deceiving immigration authorities. –– City News Service