Trade Winds

Advertiser Staff

• MARK DeMELLO, former lead singer for popular Honolulu singing group, The Kasuals, and 17-year veteran of the local hotel industry, has been named general manager of the Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel. He is past general manager for former Aston properties, the Park Shore Waikiki Hotel, and Embassy Vacation Resort Po'ipu Point, and former general manager of the Waikiki Parc Hotel.

• JULIE NASH, former brand manager with Kraft Foods in New York for such foods as Breyers Yogurt and Jell-O, has joined Alexander & Baldwin Inc. as manager, corporate planning. She will be responsible for development and coordination of A&B's annual operating plans, financial forecasts and strategic plans.

• Two employees of Hawaiian Cement are among elected officers of the 2004 executive board of the organization, Cement and Concrete Products Industry of Hawaii (CCPI): chairman, JEFFREY CHING, of Hawaiian Cement; vice chairman, BRIAN DEER, of Bonded Materials; secretary, MICHAEL COAD, of Hawaiian Cement; treasurer, ERIC YOSHIZAWA, of Ameron Maui; coordinator/Neighbor Islands, FREDERICK K. WONG; and past chairman, GEORGE WEST, of Ameron Hawaii.

• First Hawaiian Bank has announced several officer appointments:

• DALE T. KOBAYASHI was named vice president and manager, Institutional Client Relations. Kobayashi first joined First Hawaiian in 2002 as vice president and senior investment officer of the bank's money-management subsidiary, Bishop Street Capital Management, a position he still holds.
• DEMANEY C.W. KIHE, formerly a Hawaii National Bank commercial loan officer, was named as personal banking officer, for the bank's Kane'ohe branch.
• BRIAN ASAMOTO, who joined First Hawaiian Bank in 1996 as a programmer analyst, was named systems officer, Information Technology.
• MICHAEL VERITY, who joined the bank last year as an investment specialist, has been named equity analyst, Bishop Street Capital Management.

• Communications firm Hastings & Pleadwell has hired KATHERINE GARDNER and ELIZABETH LEWIS, as account coordinator and project coordinator, respectively. Gardner's academic and career background is in corporate communication, including account coordinator for Destination Marketing Hawaii, and marketing assistant for Pacific Telecommunications Council. Lewis joins Hastings & Pleadwell after completing an internship with the firm.

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.