Awards
Advertiser Staff
Brigham Young University-Hawai'i has recognized seven Windward community leaders for outstanding service, contributions to people's lives and making a difference in Ko'olau Loa.
Receiving the Ko'olau Loa Outstanding Service Award are Dan Ditto, chief executive officer of Kahuku Hospital; John Kaina, president of Na Kamalei; Richard Paglinawan, project manager for the Queen Emma Foundation; Gwen Kim, Windward unit manager of the Queen Lili'uokalani Children's Center, William and Emma Ernestburg, Boy Scout organizers; and state Rep. Colleen Meyer.
The award is presented every two years. This year the Polynesian Cultural Center and Hawai'i Reserves Inc. also sponsored the awards.
• The Vocational Rehabilitation and Services for the Blind Division of the Department of Human Services has presented a number of awards:
• Outstanding Employers of the Year for 2002: Lobster and Crab House restaurant whose president, Alan Ho, has demonstrated a commitment to providing opportunities to hone the culinary skills of Wen Sheng Huang, who is deaf. With an interpreter/job coach provided by the division and the support and encouragement from everyone in the workplace, he was trained with courtesy and respect, the division said.
• Windward Section Rehabilitant of the Year for 2001: Cindy Forsythe, of Wahiawa. Despite personal challenges, she has maintained employment with Steadfast Housing, a private nonprofit agency that provides services to the mentally ill.
Her commitment and energy have helped promote the agency's Clubhouse program. She also gave a presentation on healthy lifestyles at the Western Region Clubhouse Conference.
• Outstanding Rehabilitant of the Year for 2001: Jennifer Kagihara, who started with the division while a student in Mililani High School's special education program. After graduation, the division sponsored her for the Employment Training Center's Customer Service class.
She went on to learn job search skills from Winners at Work and was hired by Old Navy at Pearl Highlands Shopping Center
"Jennifer is a wonderful worker, very helpful, and everyone loves her," said her supervisor.
• Japanese Imperial Decoration Awardees from Hawai'i for spring 2002 are:
• Minoru Ueda, recipient of The Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Rays. He is former president of the Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce and former vice chairman of Central Pacific Bank.
He has contributed toward building a cooperative relationship in the economic field between Japan and Japanese societies in Hawai'i and has made efforts to spread Japanese culture and education among the children of Japanese residents here.
• Nancy Nagai, recipient of The Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Rays. She is a former employee of the Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu. She was hired by the consulate just after World War II and worked there for more than 36 years. As a clerk in the Consular Affairs Section, she made efforts to support personal exchange and to build a new relationship between Japan and the United States.
