Trade Winds

Advertiser Staff

• The Organization of Women Leaders has named its 2003 Leaders of the Year, one each representing the public and private sectors. The organization of women executives from local business and government sectors works to develop a network among women in decision-making positions. Named Leader of the Year for the public sector is JANICE NIELSEN, director of government and legislative affairs for U.S. Army Pacific. Nielsen serves as liaison between Pacific Army headquarters and government officials at the federal, state and local levels, for Hawai'i, Alaska, Guam and American Samoa. She is also president-elect for OWL. MARY SHERIDAN, OWL corresponding secretary, was awarded the Leader of the Year award for the private sector. She is professor and program chairwoman of social work, Hawai'i Pacific University, and developer of the social work bachelor's program at HPU.

• NANCY BONNER has taken on the additional duties of assistant buyer with her transfer from store manager of the Martin & MacArthur Ala Moana Center store to the firm's new store at Hyatt Regency Waikiki. The four-year company veteran has a background in both apparel design and construction.

• Bank of Hawaii has announced the following promotions to vice president:

• RAYLETTE M. DACOSIN, who has held a number of supervisory positions at Bank of Hawaii since joining the bank as collector in 1991, has been promoted from assistant vice president and collection unit manager, to vice president and consumer collections manager, within the Collections and Recovery Department (formerly, Bankoh Collection Services).
• VARANYA "POM" LUXTON, formerly assistant vice president and manager of the Downtown Honolulu Residential Loan Center, retains her loan center managerial position with her promotion to vice president.
• RANDY A. MURAOKA will continue responsibilities as wholesale manager of Wholesale Residential Lending with his promotion to vice president. He will oversee business development and origination of residential loans through the bank's mortgage brokers. He is a former vice president and senior business development manager for Finance Factors.
• KIRK W.M. NAKAMOTO was promoted from assistant vice president to vice president, Waikiki branch. He continues his responsibility as branch sales manager, overseeing the sales responsibilities for the Bank of Hawaii Waikiki branches. Since joining the bank in 1995 he has also held sales management positions in the bank's Windward O'ahu district.
• LESTER T. NAKAMOTO also maintains duties as branch sales manager, overseeing sales and general operations of the bank's Lahaina and Kahana, Maui, branches, and the Lana'i branch, with his promotion to vice president of the Lahaina Branch. The Maui native has also served in branch positions across the Pacific, including Saipan and the Marshall Islands.

• MYLES MURAKAMI of Atlas Insurance Agency Inc. has been elected president of the board of directors of the Hawaii Independent Insurance Agents Association. The organization is the state affiliate for the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America, the nation's oldest association of independent insurance agents. Also elected were vice president, RICH PROCTOR of Jerry Hay Inc.; secretary-treasurer, STEPHEN UEMURA of Commercial Insurance Agency; state director, CARL SATO of Business Insurance Agency Inc.; O'ahu directors, PATRICK KUDLICH of Ocean Marine Services, and MARCUS POLIVKA of Monarch Insurance Services; Maui director, BOB BORKOVEC of Bank of Hawai'i Insurance Services Inc.; Kaua'i director, LORRAINE JIMENEZ, Bank of Hawai'i Insurance Services Inc., and Hilo director, DENNIS MIYASHIRO of Atlas Insurance Agency Inc.

• MELISSA ANDERSON, who has worked as a policy analyst for the Hawaii Land Use Research Foundation and served as professional planner for local governments both here and in Utah, has been hired as senior planner at Helber Hastert & Fee Planners Inc.

• Twenty-five-year American Savings Bank veteran, CYNTHIA HERMOSURA, has been named assistant vice president and branch manager of the bank's Pearl City branch.

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.