Daily News Briefs

Nicola Pignati has been promoted to president and CEO of New Focus Inc., supplier of innovative products serving the telecommunications, test and measurement and photonics tools markets. He will join the board of directors following the company's annual meeting on May 29. He succeeds
R. Clark Harris, who will maintain an active role in the company as chairman of the board and chief strategy officer. . . . Chadwick F. Smith has joined the medical advisory board at MicroLight Corp. of America. Smith, professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of Southern California, started the American Society of Laser Therapy and established the six-hour continuing medical education training course for the use of low-level lasers.