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Published on 06/29/1998 All articles from this issue

Business Noteworthies

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Agarwal honored as 'Entrepreneur of Year'

Prakash Agarwal, president and chief executive officer of NeoMagic Corporation, was awarded The 1998 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the high technology-electronics category.

Agarwal, a resident of Los Altos and co-founder of NeoMagic, said he was fortunate to work with "many talented individuals, who have allowed me to fulfill my entrepreneurial dream."

Santa Clara-based NeoMagic Corporation (Nasdaq: NMGC) was a pioneer of embedded DRAM and the world's first producer of single-chip multimedia accelerators for notebook computers, said Betty Watkins, a spokeswoman for the company.

In presenting the award, Michael Hildreth of Ernst & Young congratulated Agarwal and others honored for "their innovation and ingenuity and their willingness to take personal risk."

Ruann F. Ernst named CEO of Digital Island

Ruann F. Ernst recently joined Digital Island as president and CEO. Ernst, a Los Altos resident, had previously been general manager of the financial services business unit for Hewlett-Packard.

"Ruann is a tremendous asset to our organization, bringing to the company a strong operational background for fast-growing markets," said Ron Higgins, founder of the company and chairman of the board.

Founded in 1995, the privately held, Honolulu-based Digital Island is the first global applications network for the digital economy, said Aine Muldoon, a spokeswoman for the company.

Ernst holds three degrees from Ohio State University: a bachelor's, a master's in computer science and a doctorate in technology and organizational change.

Before working for H-P she was a vice president and general manager with General Electric Information Services Co.

Steven Hetzler saluted for research innovations

Steven R. Hetzler, a Los Altos resident who works at the IBM Almaden Research Center in San Jose, was recently named an IBM Fellow.

This honor is the highest rank for technologists at IBM, said Charles Jenkins, a spokesman with the company.

To date only 148 people - including five Nobel Laureates - have been so honored. IBM Fellows are given a high level of freedom to identify and pursue research in any area of their choosing, Jenkins said.

Hetzler is a major technical leader in improving disk drive architecture and performance.

"His inventions have fundamentally changed the way disk drives are designed," Jenkins said.

IBM chairman Louis V. Gerstner Jr. presented the awards at the company's corporate technology recognition event.

"IBM researchers and technologists continue to create the technologies that will help IBM lead customers and consumers into the future," Gerstner said.

Local Realtor awarded Real Estate Innovator

Kevin Kanning, with RE/MAX Valley in Los Altos, has been awarded the designation Real Estate Innovator by Realty Electronics Publishing.

The designation is given to a select group of Real Estate professionals who offer "extraordinary service to home sellers," said a spokesperson with Realty Publishing.

Kanning provides home sellers with a service called Talking House.

This allows the home-buying public to get instant information about a home for sale right over their car radio.

About 10,000 agents nationwide have been awarded the REI designation out of the 725,000 members of the National Association of Realtors in the country.

Dennis Young elected by state society of CPAs

Los Altos CPA Dennis Young has been elected to the executive committee of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants, a professional association with nearly 30,000 members statewide.

Young, 54, brings nearly three decades of professional experience to the position, said Jim Zelinski, a spokesman for the California Society of CPAs.

Young is currently managing director of the Silicon Valley office of American Express Tax & Business Services.

Young earned a bachelor's degree from the University of San Francisco, an MBA from Santa Clara University and has been a CPA since 1969.

He is currently treasurer of the Los Altos Rotary Club, treasurer of the Los Altos Community Foundation and president of the Los Altos Chamber of Commerce.

Recently the Town Crier included Young on its list of the 10 most powerful people in the Los Altos area.

Items for Business Noteworthies can be mailed to the Town Crier at 138 Main St., Los Altos, 94022. They can also be faxed to the paper at 948-6647.