Trade Winds | The Honolulu Advertiser

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Trade Winds | The Honolulu Advertiser | Hawaii's Newspaper

Posted on: Monday, August 2, 2004

Trade Winds

Advertiser Staff

• RODERICK "ROD" J. SAUNDERS has been named to head the local dealership for Toyota's new "niche-market" Scion, introduced as a separate division aimed at younger drivers. Saunders was named general manager of O'ahu's only Scion dealership, next to Servco Pacific Inc.'s existing Toytota City complex in Mapunapuna. Saunder's management career has included commercial mortgage consultancy, vice president/general manager of Simmons (mattress) Co.; vice president with AMFAC/JMB Hawaii and senior vice president and chief operating officer for Hawaiian Holiday Macadamia Nut Co. Inc.

• Joining him on the Scion management team as sales managers are EDWARD HIGA, most recently financial services manager at Servco's Toyota City dealership, and ALONZO COBBIN, recently sales manager at Saturn Honolulu.

• DON HORNER, president and chief operating officer of First Hawaiian Bank, has been elected chairman of the Hawaii Business Roundtable, a nonprofit group of business leaders focused on promoting the state's economic health and improvements in education. He replaces H. MITCHELL D'OLIER, president and chief executive officer of Kane'ohe Ranch Co. Elected vice chair was DAVID CAREY, president and chief executive officer of Outrigger Enterprises. W. ALLEN DOANE, president and chief executive officer of Alexander & Baldwin Inc., and MICHAEL FISCH, president and publisher of The Honolulu Advertiser, were elected to its executive committee, joining four other members. The Roundtable also named three new members: DAVID McCLAIN, acting president of the University of Hawai'i; THOMAS M. DRISKILL JR., president and chief executive officer of the Hawaii Health Systems Corp., and CHARLES A. STED, president and chief executive officer of Hawaii Pacific Health.

• First Hawaiian Bank has announced several officer promotions:

NEILL A. CHAR, promoted to vice president and University Banking Center branch manager.

WAYNE H. MATSUMURA, promoted to assistant vice president and business banking officer, Kapi'olani Banking Center.

BARBARA K.J. NITTA, who joined First Hawaiian in 1989 as a receptionist and held various human resource positions, was promoted to assistant vice president in the Human Resources Division.

KATHARINE H. KAM, promoted to Mililani Branch manager.

GAVIN TANIOKA, one of American Savings Bank's 20 financial consultants located in branches statewide, has been named assistant vice president in the bank's Financial Services Group. He is trained in fixed and variable annuities, mutual funds and life and long-term-care insurance.

• Atlantis Adventures has promoted two new managers to lead sales and marketing efforts in Asia for its three Hawai'i attractions: Atlantis Submarines, Atlantis Cruises and Sea Life Park Hawaii.

Promoted from sales manager-Asia to director of sales-Asia is MICHELLE QUENGA, with a special emphasis on travel trade activities in Japan, China and Korea. She has been with Atlantis for more than 11 years, eight of them in Guam, and the past 3 1/2 in Honolulu.
Japan-born NAOKO MILES, who joined Atlantis early this year as the company's marketing and sales specialist, has been named marketing manager-Asia, primarily responsible for managing Atlantis' marketing, advertising and media relations for eastbound travelers, including working with the three Atlantis attractions to develop new products. She previously worked at Sea Life Park Hawaii assisting Japanese- and English-speaking visitors with dolphin interactions, and providing training for Japanese interpreters.

• Bank of Hawaii has promoted two employees to senior vice president:

JAMES P. GARCIA, a 27-year banking industry veteran who has worked for Bank of America in Hong Kong and California, has been promoted to senior vice president and senior audit manager for the bank's Internal Audit Department. He was most recently Bank of Hawaii vice president and audit manager.
THOMAS J. LAUDICK has been promoted to senior vice president and manager for the Auto Finance Department — including oversight of the Dealer Indirect Lending business unit, of which he was most recently manager — and bank vice president. He also has worked for General Motors Acceptance Corp. (GMAC) as marketing sales manager.

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.

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