Awards

Advertiser Staff

Land board presents awards

The Board of Land and Natural Resources has presented awards to several of its employees for outstanding performance during the past year. They are:

• Employee of the Year — Frank Borden, caretaker of the Division of State Parks at Pala'au State Park on Moloka'i, for his efforts to repair and maintain the previously unkempt park so it can remain open to the public. Ten acres are now well-kept and four acres are available for camping.

• Manager of the Year — Dean Nakano, planning branch chief for the Commission on Water Resource Management, for developing comprehensive, long-range plans for the protection, conservation and management of the state's water resources. He has worked with other agencies to complete all components of the Hawai'i Water Plan.

• Sustained Superior Performance Awards:

• Wayne Ching, resource protection forester with the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife. He was instrumental in hosting a national standard wildland fire investigation course and conducted two local "Firewise Community" workshops involving members from the community and various agencies.

• Karen Matsunaga, an accountant with the DLNR Administrative Services Office, for getting budget requests approved during the legislative session despite the economic downturn because of the Sept. 11 attacks and the state's slow recovery. Some of the budget requests approved were for forest watersheds and endangered species, Maui agriculture resources, statewide improvements and land acquisition at Ma'alaea Boat Harbor.

• Koke'e Task Force, Team of the Year — Lynn McCrory, Kaua'i Land Board member, accepted on behalf of the Task Force, whose members are employees of DLNR programs on Kaua'i. It has been beneficial to have a single forum to facilitate a regional, multi-disciplinary approach toward identifying area issues and management resources.

Parker Ranch project honored

The Parker Ranch Center renovation project in Waimea, Hawai'i, has been honored with a certificate of recognition for responsible and environmentally sensitive lighting by W.M. Keck Observatory in conjunction with the international Dark-Sky Association. The lighting, which provides safety without glare and illumination without waste, helps to protect the beauty of the night sky.

Chamber board, officers elected

Reuben Wong, a Honolulu attorney, has been elected president of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii. He is an active member of the Chinese community, serving as director of the Chamber for more than 30 years as well as legal adviser to a number of past Chamber presidents. During his term, Wong plans to meet with leaders from other local Chinese organizations to discuss issues of common concern, devise comprehensive solutions and make the collective voice of the Chinese community heard.

Also elected were Terrill S.W. Chock, president-elect; Winfred K.T. Pong, first vice president; Ming Chen, second vice president; Michele K.S. Choy, English secretary; Henry H.H. Yu, Chinese secretary; Alvin C.P. Wong, treasurer; Libby Y. Lew, assistant treasurer; Elvira Lo, auditor; and Ban F. Chan, immediate past president.

Newly elected directors are Gordon Au, Stanford Yuen, Clyde Chun, Yen Chun, Dennis Hwang,

Vernon Jim, Leonard Kam, Gayle Lau, Kwock Nam Lau, Russell Leu, Elvira Lo, Sylvia Louie, Alex Marn, Alvin Wong, Dr. Franklin Young and Henry Yu.