Helene Fortunoff has been appointed chairwoman of the Gemological Institute of America’s board of governors. She replaces former board of governors chairman Ralph Destino, who was recently appointed chairman of GIA.

Fortunoff, a principal of jewelry store chain Fortunoff, based in Westbury, N.Y., has served on GIA’s board of governors since 1999.

The board of governors has taken an unusually active role in GIA’s affairs recently in the wake of the GIA lab money-for-grades scandal. Among its recent actions have been installing Destino and overhauling the lab’s procedures.

In other GIA personnel news, Alex Angelle, GIA senior public relations manager and a frequent presence in the pages of JCK, has retired. Angelle has been replaced by Laura Simanton.