Trade Winds
Advertiser Staff
• Faye Watanabe Kurren, who announced an early retirement as president of Tesoro Hawaii Corp. at the end of May following the company's cost-saving shift of many administrative functions to its Texas headquarters, has been named to head Hawai'i Dental Association. Her appointment as president and chief executive officer of the largest provider of dental benefits in the state, is effective Sept. 3. She replaces Jonathan Won, 60, who had led HDS since August 2000. Kurren joined Pacific Resources Inc., as legal counsel in 1984 before PRI became BHP Hawaii, and then Tesoro.
• Ten-year consulting and management veteran, DEBBIE KURIHARA, has joined the nonprofit Blood Bank of Hawai'i management team as controller. Kurihara previously was a regional controller for MMI Realty Services, chief financial officer and treasurer of Oahu Construction Co., and supervising audit senior at KPMB accounting firm.
The Public Relations Society of America's (PRSA) local chapter has honored three local public relations professionals as part of their recent 20th annual Koa Anvil Awards ceremony at the Royal hawaiian Hotel:
• CRAIG MIYAMOTO, principal and senior counsel of Miyamoto Strategic Counsel, was inducted as the 11th member of the organization's Hall of Honor for his contributions to the local public relations industry over almost a quarter century.
• Kitty Lagareta, chairman and chief executive officer of Communications-Pacific, and former spokesman for the Linda Lingle gubernatorial campaign, was honored as the "Gregg W. Perry Public Relations Professional of the Year," for her contributions to the profession, volunteerism and community service.
• KRISTEN CABRAL, a University of Hawai'i public information officer, was awarded the Hokupa'a (the North Star, literally "immovable star"), given to a young professional, in the first five years of his or her public relations practice, who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and achievement.
Also presented at the annual awards dinner were 11 Koa Anvil awards, 12 koa hammer awards and 16 awards of excellence.
• In the series of promotions spurred by recent growth of Coffee Partners Hawaii, including their local Starbucks Coffee and Jamba Juice Company Hawaii division, the company has announced the promotion of LIANNE GAKIYA MYERS as chief financial officer. Her oversight will also extend to Jamba Juice Florida. The position was previously held by GREG MEIER, now company president. Meyers joined Starbucks in 1998 as director of finance.
Other promotions include JOYCE SIPIN AQUINO, new controller — formerly assistant controller; and JEREMIAH ANA, named to the new position of finance and planning manager. Starbucks has 36 stores statewide; Jamba Juice currently has 14.
• Following the recent announcement that longtime Hawai'i real-estate firm Chaney, Brooks & Co. Inc. was re-entering the home-selling business with the opening of a residential brokerage division at the company's Kaka'ako office, the company has named two to lead the recently launched American Homes Division. The new division and appointments are the latest in a reorganization that last year replaced top executives, exited the condominium association management business and won a contract to manage military housing. JAMES MURATSUCHI has been named senior vice president of a reorganized Residential Group, which will combine brokerage services of the new American Homes Division, with existing residential and military property management services. He is a former Army Corps of Engineers lieutenant colonel, with extensive housing and facility management experience in the Pacific and Japan.
Also named as principal broker within the new division is RENEE BLONDIN NIP, overseeing both rental and brokerage services. Nip was formerly an attorney with the state attorney general's office, and with the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.
• RICHARD J. KOWEN, a partner in the law firm of Kowen & Walker, and ANDREW D. SMITH, an associate, have joined the law firm of Alston Hunt Floyd & Ing, following the closing of Kowen & Walker on July 31. Kowen — admitted to practice in Hawai'i, U.S. District Court and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, is a 28-year veteran in commercial and property litigation and medical malpractice defense. Smith's practice focuses on product liability, insurance defense, legal and medical malpractice defense, premises liability and collections. Kowen & Walker began business in January 1999.
• Dr. Mitchel Rosenfeld has been named medical director of Hawai'i Air Ambulance, taking over for Dr. Robert T. Bonham who becomes the firm's medical director emeritus. A nearly 20-year veteran of the emergency services industry, Bonham will continue in his positions as emergency physician and director of the Emergency Department of the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, and as medical director of the University of Hawai'i and Kapi'olani Community College, Emergency Medical Services training division.
• DAVID BYLUND, an associate and project designer/architect with Architects Hawaii Ltd., has been named to a four-year term on the state Office of Environmental Quality Control's Environmental Council. One focus of Bylund's interest is architectural sustainability, a commitment to structures that complement and support the environment.
Announcements of promotions and job changes can be sent to: Trade Winds, Business Section, The Honolulu Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802; faxed to 525-6763, or e-mailed to business@honoluluadvertiser.com. Photographs may be included, but must be identified on the back.
