Trade Winds

Advertiser Staff

A number of changes have been announced by McDonald's Hawaii:

• HAROLD HATANAKA, a 33-year veteran with McDonald's — 20 of them as owner/operator — has retired. He joined McDonald's in 1971 as an assistant restaurant manager, working his way up to his first McDonald's outlet in 1984. Since then, he has owned five Big Island restaurants in Hilo: Kea'au, Prince Kuhio Mall, Puainako, Wal-Mart, Hilo, and before its closing, Waiakea Kai. Hatanaka has transferred ownership/operation of his five existing restaurants to McDonald's employee PATRICK LIM, who has been serving as business consultant for the company.
• McDonald's has also promoted longtime executive VERONICA KANEKO, formerly managing director of the Hawai'i division (within the Pacific Sierra region) to president and managing director of the Hawai'i region covering Hawai'i, Guam and Saipan.
• Twenty-four-year McDonald's Hawaii veteran MELANIE OKAZAKI has also been promoted — from assistant marketing manager to marketing manager of the Hawai'i region. She will coordinate all aspects of advertising, marketing and public relations for the region.

• TIMOTHY CHOY, veteran of special project administrative positions at Honolulu Academy of Arts, has been named assistant to the president at Bishop Museum. He will assist museum president Bill Brown with organizational communications, events coordination and other needs. Most recently, Choy served as director of special events and special assistant to Academy of Arts Chairman of the Board Samuel Cooke.

• ROB GUNTHNER, who began his hotel industry career in 1982 in Hawai'i, has returned to the Islands with an appointment as general manager of the 347-room beachfront Radisson Kauai Beach Resort in Lihu'e. Gunthner was most recently general manager of the Wyndham El Conquistador Resort and Golden Door Spa in Puerto Rico, and recent member of the Puerto Rico Hotel and Tourism Association board of directors.

• CATHY CRUZ, a former editor with both Hawaii Business Magazine and Guam Business Magazine, has been named Small Business Journalist of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration, both for Hawai'i and Guam. Recipients of SBA awards will be honored at a luncheon April 28 at Sheraton-Waikiki Hotel.

• City Bank corporate business banker EDDY NG, a member and past president of the Hawaii Business Jaycees chapter, has been named director of HAWAII JAYCEES, Region II, overseeing all Jaycee chapters on O'ahu. Responsibility of all Neighbor Island Jaycee chapters will now be in the hands of Region I director Lisa Kuramoto of Hilo.

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.