Trade Winds

Advertiser Staff

• Longtime local business executive KEITH NAGATA has joined First Hawaiian Bank as vice president in the business services division. The division, responsible for merchant credit card transaction processing, handles more than $2.5 billion in transactions annually. Nagata is a 23-veteran of Verizon Hawai'i — formerly as director of the Technology and Marketing Center and most recently as vice president of sales. He has an extensive background in technology and management.

First Hawaiian Bank also has announced other appointments:

• Vice president GAYLE L. PINGREE has been named Waipahu branch manager and area manager, with additional responsibilities for the Kapolei, 'Ewa and Wai'anae branches. Most recently, she managed the Kahala branch. She also has also managed branches in Hawai'i Kai, Kuapa Kai and Kona.

• Vice president GREG SITAR has been named Pearlridge branch manager and area manager, with additional responsibilities for the Pearl City branch and business loans in the Leeward O'ahu area. He most recently was Waipahu branch manager and area manager, and has also managed branches in Moanalua and Mililani.

• Vice president STEPHEN E.K. KAAA has been named Kahala branch manager, and assistant vice president STEVE LIM has been named Kailua branch manager. For the past five years, Kaaa has been a private banking officer and, before that, he was Eaton Square branch manager. Lim previously was a commercial banker, business banking officer, and assistant manager of the Kalihi branch.

• Vice president and 25-year First Hawaiian veteran VERNON NAKAMURA has been named business banking officer at the bank's Main Banking Center. He was previously Pearlridge branch manager and area manager. Vice president ANN McLEAN — previously Kailua branch manager, Kalakaua branch manager and business banking associate — has been named a private banking officer.

• AARON MITSCHKE, former clinical nurse specialist in Kuakini Medical Center's education services department, has been named nurse manager for inpatient nursing services.

• Dick Pacific Construction Co. Ltd. has named JEFFREY KONN chief financial officer of the 63-year-old local contracting company. The longtime senior vice president of finance, a 25-year veteran of the finance industry, transferred from the Pittsburgh-based parent company Dick Corporation where he had worked for nine years. Dick Pacific specializes in construction in the government and private sector hospitality, retail, healthcare, heavy power and industrial sectors, with projects in Hawai'i, Guam, the Pacific Rim, Alaska and Washington state.

• SARAH LEE MORIHARA, attorney formerly with the Cades Schutte law firm, has been named corporate counsel for the commercial/industrial property management firm Colliers Monroe Friedlander. Her new responsibilities will include reviewing retail, office and industrial lease and purchase offers; consulting for leased and managed property; assisting in disposition of investment properties; and addressing management, personnel and administrative issues.

Among Morihara's areas of responsibility while with Cades Schutte were real estate leasing, acquisitions and dispositions, and real property tax appeals. She also served as a state time-share consultant.

• DOUGLAS AKIN has been promoted to vice president, claims, at Hawaiian Insurance & Guaranty Co. Ltd. Akin came to HIG in 1993 from San Francisco, where he was managing attorney for Transamerica Insurance and Maryland Casualty. Since November 2000, he has been HIG claims manager.

Also, JANICE TSUKADA was promoted to vice president for underwriting and marketing. She had been underwriting manager since 2000.

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.