Announcements.

• Position: Multiple topics - Brief Article

Bankers

Karin Stone has been named senior vice president and director of corporate marketing at National City Corp. of Cleveland. A former vice president of Walker Digital (parent company of Priceline.com), Stone succeeds Mary H. Griffith, who has been put in charge of the bank's new internal brand management unit.

The Provident Bank has named Gregory French senior vice president, market development. French comes from American International Group, where he was vice president of marketing and e-business.

Janet Csencsits has been appointed marketing officer for Beverly National Bank in Beverly, Mass., the nation's oldest community bank. Previously she was with Epsilon Data Management in Burlington, Mass and the Essex County Greenbelt Association in Essex, Mass.

Horizon Bank of Bellingham, Wash. Named Michelle Mason marketing and investor relations manager. Mason previously was with Washington Mutual in Seattle and at First Mutual Bank in Bellevue.

Financial Services

Stephen B. Benton was promoted to senior vice president in the financial institution division of Financial Network Investment Corp. in Torrance, Calif. Previously, Benton was regional director for the San Antonio, Texas region.

H&R Block, Kansas City, MO., has announced two personnel changes in marketing. Carlos Ayala has joined the company in the newly created position of multicultural marketing manager. Scott Ragan has been promoted to the new position of vice president, tax marketing and business development.

IFS Financial Services of Cincinnati named Robert J. Snyder regional vice president of its financial institutions division. His territory includes Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

Service Providers

J. C. Wood, formerly responsible for business development at Axciom Inc., was appointed vice president at Fair, Isaac and Co. Inc. Wood will be responsible for business development of MarketSmart, a CRM software product configured for the financial services industry. Wood is based in Fair, Isaac's Arden Hills, Minn. office. Steve Sjoblad, formerly with Minneapolis-based Fallon McGelligott advertising agency, was named as Fair, Isaac's new vice president for corporate development Tom McEnery, a senior marketing executive at Fallon Worldwide, was named vice president, strategic marketing at Fair, Isaac.

Mergers

Sanwa Bank California and Tokai Bank of California have merged and have become United California Bank. The new entity, with combined assets of...