Trade Winds

Advertiser Staff

• Two local business leaders — developer CHRISTOPHER B. HEMMETER and carnival/circus businessman KANE FERNANDEZ — will be added posthumously to the roster of 50 members of the HAWAI'I BUSINESS HALL OF FAME at upcoming induction ceremonies sponsored by JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT. Fernandez and his widow, LINDA FERNANDEZ, president and chief executive officer of Fernandez Entertainment, are being honored as one entry.

Also being honored are DONALD H. GRAHAM JR., developer and principal of GMR LLC and popularly known as the father of Ala Moana Center; and JAMES "JIM" S. ROMIG, founder and chief executive officer of Hilo Hattie.

Rounding out this year's honorees are Big Island auto dealership owner DAVID S. DE LUZ SR. and MICHAEL H. LYONS II, former Bank of Hawaii-Maui vice president and philanthropist.

A recognition ceremony at the Legislature is planned March 15 and the Junior Achievement induction dinner is set for March 16 at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel. Reservations: 545-1777.

• COREEN K. LEE has been named associate director of the local childcare and education advocacy, PATCH, People Attentive to Children. She is former professional development team manager at Good Beginnings Alliance, a statewide, nonprofit child advocacy organization that works with Hawai'i legislators to address the needs of young children.

• TRACEY HIROKANE, a five-year employee with the USS Missouri Memorial Association, has been promoted to international and meetings, conventions and incentives sales manager. The Western Samoa native was formerly inside sales manager and reservations and ticketing supervisor for the memorial.

• Architects Hawai'i Ltd. recently promoted architect WILLIAM BRIZEE principal; architect DAVID BYLUND (AIA), KAREN MURAOKA, (ASID, IIDA), and JEFFREY NAKAMURA (AIA) to senior associates; and FRANCISCO CRUZATA, ALAIN GERONIMO, RAYMOND OKAMOTO, (CSI) and RACHEL PANIDA (AIA associate), to associates.

Brizee, who joined Architects Hawaii as project manager in 1995, has worked on such projects as The Queen's Medical Center Emergency Room, the Turtle Bay Resort and Kahala Nui Senior Living Community.

• JOSEPH P. NICOLAI, president of JN Automotive Group, has been named the 2004 TIME Magazine Quality Dealer Award. Nicolai is one of 63 dealers nominated for the award. Sponsored by TIME, Goodyear and the National Automobile Dealers Association, the program recognizes outstanding new car dealers for exceptional performance in their dealership and distinguished community service. Nicolai has been a president of the Hawaii Automobile Dealers Association and was honored in 2002 by Mayor Jeremy Harris with a "Joe Nicolai Day."

• ROBERT BRUHL has joined Schuler Homes as director of land acquisitions and forward planning, overseeing the firm's efforts to acquire land for community development and long-range strategic planning. Most recently, he was vice president for The Cypress Group, a private equity fund, previously part of the former Smith Barney Inc., now Citigroup. He is a current member of the Land Use Research Foundation and Hawaii Developers' Council.

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.