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George Little Management of White Plains, NY, and Urban Expositions of Atlanta named Katherine Hagman and Angela Jones show managers for The Gift Fair In Atlanta. Hagman joined Urban Expositions in 1999 as show manager for the Florida International Gift Show, and later took on the role of show manager for Material World Miami Beach. Jones joined Urban Expositions in 1998 as show manager for the Grand Strand Gift and Resort Merchandise Show. In 2000, she also took on the position of show manager for the East Coast Gift & Resort Merchandise Show, while providing sales and operations assistance for the Florida International Gift Show. The first semiannual edition of The Gift Fair In Atlanta will run July 12–15, 2002, at the Georgia World Congress Center.

Specialty puzzle and game manufacturer Buffalo Games Inc., of Buffalo, NY, promoted Mark Predko to the position of director of sales and marketing, and Laurie Shaw to the position of sales manager. Predko, who has been with the company since 1994, will lead the efforts of the sales and marketing departments, and develop strategies to further the company's position in North America. He will also develop the company's sales plans in the toy and gift retail markets, as well as planning for expansion beyond these markets. Shaw will be responsible for leading the company's ongoing sales growth, working with its 30 sales agencies and more than 6,000 retail accounts throughout North America. Now in her third year at Buffalo Games, she will personally coordinate all key accounts. In addition to the promotions, Kevin Renaud was hired as assistant sales manager, responsible for coordinating the efforts of 150 independent sales agents that represent Buffalo Games products.

Goebel of North America, Pennington, NJ, promoted Rick Wasserman, previously vice president of finance and operations, to the position of senior vice president and general manager for the company. He will oversee all aspects of the company's day-to-day operations as well as financial, accounting, and budgetary functions. Before joining Goebel, Wasserman served as acting president, vice president of finance, and CFO for Papel Giftware. The company also appointed Richard Conforti vice president of field sales for its collectibles and giftware lines, which include M.I. Hummel figurines, Pocket Dragons, and Looney Tunes Giftware. Before joining Goebel, Conforti was a principal at Simeon Consulting in Toms River, NJ. In addition, Susan Crabtree was named director of gift sales for Goebel, and will oversee sales and distribution for the company's Goebel Gift lines. Crabtree comes to the company from Christopher Radko/Starad Inc., where she was Midwest regional sales manager for two years.

Whereoware.com of White Plains, NY, a web-based technology provider serving the gift industry, named three new staff members to its growing team. Jim Rothey was appointed chief information officer, responsible for building the company's technology team, as well as defining its technical and informational strategies. Rothey has managed information retrieval systems for such companies as eMotion and Picture Network International. Kate Ryder was named human resources manager. She will maintain the company's HR policies, procedures, and recruitment. Most recently, Ryder was a technical recruiter for the American Red Cross. Paul Spillane joins Whereoware as chief technical officer. He comes to the company from Verizon Communications, and will be responsible for information technology, development, and infrastructure.

Decorative Concepts Inc. (DCI), Cincinnati, OH, appointed William Murphy vice president of operations. He most recently served as senior vice president for Evenflo Co. Inc. of Dayton, OH. Murphy's primary focus at DCI will be to create overall synergy of operations throughout the divisions, helping the company expand its reach into the home decor and gift markets. DCI is a designer and distributor of gift and floral home decor products for indoor and outdoor display.

David Thomas was named national sales manager for TOYO, a Santa Fe Springs,CA-based manufacturer of decorative accents for the home. Thomas will manage the company's sales organizations. Prior to his appointment at TOYO, he served as the West Coast sales manager for New Creative Ents. of Cincinnati.

Walt Disney Art Classics, Burbank, CA, the art and collectibles division of Disney Consumer Products, named Lee Zoppa its director. She will oversee all activities for the business, which operates within the Disney Harlines licensing organization and includes the Walt Disney Classics Collection line of animation sculptures, as well as licensed fine art, wall decor portfolios, and the Pooh and Friends figurines. Zoppa joined Disney Art Classics in 1997.

Christopher Noble, founder and president of NobleWorks Inc., died at St. Vincent's Hospital in New York on May 11, at age 47. Noble introduced his first line of greeting cards 20 years ago. The line received overwhelming response for its irreverent humor and edgy style. Noble is survived by his mother, Meg Peterson, two brothers, and two sisters.