Promotions and career moves by the people you know — and those you should
South Pacific Petroleum Corp. has made the following appointments:
Robert E. Koeppen Jr. has been appointed CEO. He was previously vice president at SPPC and formerly responsible for LPG marketing at ExxonMobil. Koeppen began his career in the petroleum industry as a technician with Chevron and has more than 40 years of experience in the field.
Koeppen holds a 1977 degree in geological and earth sciences from Buffalo State College in Buffalo, New York.
William A. Ada has been appointed executive vice president. He was previously executive director of operations at IP&E Holdings LLC, and formerly held other management positions at IP&E. Ada has more than 20 years of experience in the petroleum industry.
Ada also has taught in the private school system in Guam and has extensive experience in retail and property management. He holds a 1999 bachelors of business administration from the University of Portland in Portland, Ore.
Jo Ann Tanaka Mafnas has been appointed vice president of retail marketing. She previously was category/brand manager at SPPC, and formerly was retail business counselor at Exon Corp.
Mafnas holds a 1989 bachelors of business administration from Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, Calif.
Atkins Kroll Inc. has announced the following appointments:
Clark Boswell has been appointed vice president and general manager of AK Guam and Saipan. He previously was general manager in Saipan and held that post from July 2018 to February 2021. Boswell formerly was senior manager of Operational Excellence for Inchcape Asia Pacific from 2022 to 2023. He joined AK in 2014, after having worked in the insurance industry. Boswell holds a 2007 degree in international trade and finance from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, La.
Tracy Guerrero has been appointed general manager for Atkins Kroll Saipan. In this role, she continues to oversee the rental operations in Guam and will report to Boswell. Guerrero formerly was director of operations for AK, and prior to joining the company was corporate controller for Triple J Enterprises Saipan Inc.
Guerrero holds a 1996 bachelor of arts from the University of California, Berkeley and a 2001 master of business administration from California State University – East Bay.
She is a board member of Make-A-Wish Guam and CNMI, and Guerrero’s community service previously included board membership of the Northern Marianas Humanities Council and the American Red Cross CNMI Chapter.
Bank of Hawaii has announced James C. Polk has been promoted to president of Bank of Hawaii Corp. and its subsidiary Bank of Hawaii. Polk was previously vice chairman and chief banking officer. He has held positions as senior executive vice president and manager for the Consumer Banking Group.
Polk will continue to oversee Commercial Banking, Merchant Services, Cash Management, and Wealth Management. In addition, he will also oversee Retail Banking. He served in Guam as executive vice president and manager of the Pacific Islands Division of the Bank of Hawaii from 2006 until 2009. Polk joined Bank of Hawaii in 1999.
Vice Chairman Matthew K.M. Emerson has been appointed chief retail banking officer. He has been a member of the bank’s Executive Committee since 2018 and was promoted to vice chairman in 2022, most recently serving as chief strategy officer. Emerson joined Bank of Hawaii in 2010 as vice president and internet banking manager in the Online and Mobile Banking department. Since then, he has held various leadership roles across the bank.
Pay-Less Markets Inc. announced the promotion of Franklin Sablan as director of Human Resources. He will now be a member of the executive leadership team. Sablan was appointed chief people officer of Pay-Less in August 2023. Prior to relocating back to Guam, he was the executive director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. Sablan has more than 20 years of experience in the human resources profession.
Pay-Less also announced the promotion of Jerick Calilung to procurement manager. Calilung joined Pay-Less in October 2022 as financial analyst, a post he previously held at Guam Regional Medical City.
Calilung holds a 2020 bachelors of science in accounting from the University of Arizona Global Campus in Chandler, Ariz., and a 2022 masters of business administration from the Western Governors University in Salt Lake City, Utah.
In addition, Michael Hernandez has been appointed store manager of the Pay-Less supermarket at Micronesia Mall.
He previously was vice president of marketing/operations at South Pacific Petroleum Corp., and formerly was vice president of marketing at GTA. Hernandez holds a 1990 degree from Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Mich.
Misaki Toves was appointed senior manager of marketing and communications at IT&E. She previously was marketing and business development manager at Personal Finance Center and formerly was marketing coordinator at Docomo Pacific.
Toves holds an associate’s of science from Guam Community College in design and visual communications and an associate’s of science in marketing. She was certified as a digital marketing professional by the Digital Marketing Institute in 2022.
Toves is a member of the board of the Rotary Club of Tumon Bay, the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society International, the Guam Chamber of Commerce, and the Guam Women’s Chamber of Commerce.
Hillary Acfalle has been promoted to global HR manager for the group of companies that include Coca-Cola Beverage Co., Foremost Foods Inc., Glimpses of Guam, Chilis Grill & Bar, Subway Restaurants and Good to Go We Deliver. This expands her oversight of human Resource functions to other group offices.
She formerly was HR and administration manager.
Janice Castro was promoted to operations manager for Foremost Foods Inc (Guam) and will have oversight of the Supply Chain (Import), Distribution/Warehouse, and Engineering teams. She previously was distribution manager for Foremost.
Castro first worked with Glimpses of Guam from 1994 to 2003, returning to work with the group in 2004.
Hans Sholley has been appointed operations manager of Matson Navigation Inc. in Guam. He previously was director of business development for SAIC in Honolulu, and formerly senior manager for flight operations safety management system for Hawaiian Airlines.
Prior to that, Sholley was commanding officer and Singapore area coordinator with the U.S. Navy from 2020 to 2022.
Sholley was chief of staff for Joint Region Marianas from 2018 to 2020.
He holds a bachelors of science in general engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. and a masters in national security and strategic studies from the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. Sholley is a Federal Aviation Administration licensed commercial pilot.
Sholley’s community service has included co-chairman of the Committee for the 75th Anniversary of the Liberation of Guam, commissioner of the High School Outrigger Paddling League of the Independent Interscholastic Athletic Association of Guam, and member of the board of directors of the U.S. Navy League of Honolulu.
Dr. Esther L. Guard has joined the FHP Health Center in the Adult Medicine Clinic.
She served as the staff family medicine physician at the 567th RED HORSE Squadron, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. and also served as staff family medicine physician, medical director, and department head at the 4th Medical Group Health Care Operations Squadron at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, from 2020 to 2023. Prior to that, Guard served as the Core Faculty Family Medicine physician/medical director at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. From 2017 to 2020.
Guard holds a 2008 bachelors of science in nutrition from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., a masters of medical education from Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Fla., and received her 2012 doctorate in osteopathy from the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine.
She completed her residency at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, Calif. in July 2015.
Guard is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and is licensed in Guam and Virginia.
Her certifications include Combat Casualty Care, Advanced Trauma Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, S.T.A.B.L.E Newborn Post-Resuscitation, Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics, Neonatal Resuscitation Program, and Basic Life Support.
Guard was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal (2023, 2020), the Air Force Commendation Medal (2017), and the Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medal (2013).
Capt. Robert Kistner has taken command of U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia Sector Guam. Kistner is a native of Rochester, New York, and joins the Forces Micronesia team after previously serving as the chief of Prevention for the Coast Guard’s 14th District. He formerly served as deputy of Prevention for the Coast Guard’s 1st District.
The Marianas Visitors Authority has announced its executive officers.
They are Gloria C. Cavanagh, general manager of MB Capital Corp., chairperson; Jamika Taijeron, manager of DFS Saipan, vice chairperson; Marvin Deleon Guerrero, assistant vice president and branch manager, BankPacific, treasurer; and Victoria I. Benavente of Benavente & Associates, secretary.
Other board members are Ivan Quichocho, vice president, Tan Holdings; Masaru Sunaga, general manager, PMT Tours; and Warren F. Villagomez, facilities director, Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. in Tinian. A board member for Rota has yet to be appointed.