By Akina Chargualaf
The following executives were nominated this year for Guam Business Magazine’s Executive of the Year. We are proud to recognize these individuals, who have made an impact on their colleagues, companies and community through notable achievements in their businesses and institutions in the past year.
Dr. Vincent T. Akimoto
Vice president, American Medical Center
CEO, Magas Patriot Group Assisted Living
Medical director, Guam Community College
Dr. Vincent T. Akimoto, 50, is the vice president of the American Medical Center, CEO of Magas Patriot Group Assisted Living, and the medical director of the Guam Community College Allied Health Program. He was born in Majuro, Marshall Islands.
He graduated from the University of Hawaii with a bachelor’s in psychology in 1990 and went on to attain his medical degree from the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine in 1994. He completed his family medicine residency at Mayo Clinic. He is also an alumnus of Father Duenas Memorial High School.
Akimoto coordinated an international conference on SARS during the 2003 epidemic, while serving as the Guam Medical Society president. He is also a member of the Guam Medical Association. His company supports Guam Community College, the University of Guam and Guam Memorial Hospital, among others.
He is married to Melissa Salas Akimoto, and they have six children: Taylor, 21; Kai, 17; Nicholas, 16; Daniel, 13; Isa, 11; and Vincent Lucas, 10.
Susan M. Biolchino
President
Graphic Center Inc.
Micronesia Media Inc.
Susan M. Biolchino, 75, is president of Graphic Center Inc. and the president of All Micronesia Media Inc. Biolchino was born in Long Beach, Calif. She received her associate degree in social science from Cuesta College (Calif.) in 1974. Later, she branched into real estate, passing the real estate exam in 1988. Biolchino has more than 28 years of business experience and devotes most of her free time as a philanthropist and a supporter of community involvement.
Since moving to Guam in 1985, Biolchino has been actively involved in a number of organizations. She is a member of the Guam Women’s Club and in the past has been a board member for the Guam Girl Scouts and Perez Acres Homeowners Association. Biolchino also served as committee chairwoman on four different committees with the Guam Association of Realtors and held the position of vice president, treasurer and secretary for the Simon Sanchez High School Parent Association. She is a member of the Guam Chamber of Commerce, Guam Visitors Bureau, Guam Contractors Association and Pacific Asia Travel Association.
Graphic Center provides scholarship opportunities for students at the Guam Community College. Her company supports Sugar Plum Tree, the Guam Territorial Band, the University of Guam Alumni Association and other nonprofits.
Her husband is the late Richard A. Biolchino, and they have a son, Christopher Biolchino, 40.
Charles E. Ewart
President
Mobil Oil Guam Inc.
Mobil Oil Mariana Islands Inc.
Mobil Oil Micronesia Inc.
Charles E. Ewart, 48, is the president of Mobil Oil Guam Inc., Mobil Oil Mariana Islands Inc., and Mobil Oil Micronesia Inc. He was born in Brisbane, Australia. His first job was as a professional cricketer. From there, he continued on to receive his bachelor’s of commerce from Auckland University in 1991.
He began his career with ExxonMobil in December 1993, running retail stores for Pegasus Stations Ltd., before transferring to Houston in 2001. Between 2003 and 2007, Ewart supported retail improvement projects for the company worldwide before returning to New Zealand to run the company-operated fuels retail chain, with oversight of 90 service stations. In October 2007, he became chairman of Mobil Oil New Zealand Ltd., and in 2011, he was reassigned to Singapore to manage security, safety, health and environment for the fuels retail, industrial and wholesale businesses across Asia Pacific. He was posted to Guam in 2014.
Ewart was the founding chairman of the Cornwall Development Trust, a trust providing university funding for promising cricketers in New Zealand. He serves as a board member for the American Red Cross Guam Chapter and the Guam Rugby Union. Mobil actively supports the Guam Chapter of the American Red Cross, the University of Guam, Newspapers in Education, the Guam National Tennis Federation and more.
He is married to Kimberly A. Ewart, and they have three daughters: Alexandria, 7, and twins, Samantha and Madeline, 2.
Desmond J. Graham
President
Atkins Kroll Inc.
Desmond J. Graham, 53, is the president of Atkins Kroll Inc., which operates dealerships in both Guam and Saipan. Graham was born in St. Albans, Hertfordshire in England.
Graham spent his early years in the automotive industry in the United Kingdom. He started at Inchcape UK in 1986, moving his way up from sales consultant to a general sales manager by 1993. He then became regional general manager of motor retailer CD Bramall PLC in 1995, overseeing the daily operational responsibilities for the MG Rover, Nissan and Toyota business. Graham rejoined Inchcape, parent company of Atkins Kroll, in 2004 as a franchise director and joined Atkins Kroll in 2013.
Graham supports the Guam Chamber of Commerce and has interacted with the community through Atkins Kroll sponsored programs. In 2014, Atkins Kroll celebrated its 100th anniversary by launching two programs: “Cars for the Community” and “Community Matters.” The programs allowed the company to give back to the community by donating $1,941 each month to a numerous of worthy causes and to donate vehicles to the American Red Cross and the Guam Police Department.
Graham’s partner is Lawrence C. Panaguiton.
John W. Scragg
CEO and president
JWS Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Ltd., Guam
JWS Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Ltd., Saipan
John W. Scragg, 70, is president and CEO of JWS Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Ltd. Guam, a company he started in 1972, and its Saipan counterpart, JWS Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Ltd. He is also the CEO of JWS Holdings.
Scragg was born in Whakatane, New Zealand and first worked with his father in his father’s workshop. At 15 years old, he left home to complete a five-year apprenticeship with McAlpine Hussmann, a commercial refrigeration and air conditioning service in Auckland, where he earned his journeyman certification in thermal dynamics.
He arrived on Guam in the early 1970s, working with Fletcher Construction, and eventually started his own company in 1972. Among other organizations, Scragg supports the Guam Chamber of Commerce, JWS Technical Training School, the Guam Contractors Association and the New Zealand Honorary Consulate, for which he is honorary consul. His company is also a supporter of the Salvation Army, Catholic Social Service and the University of Guam.
He is married to Audre Elaine DaCosta Scragg. Their children are Anthony C. and his spouse, Pauline; Michael J. and his spouse, Lianne; and Tony and his spouse, Cate.
Stevyn J. Radonich
Vice president, general manager, mechanical contracts manager
Smithbridge Guam Inc.
Stevyn J. Radonich, 59, is the vice president, general manager and mechanical contracts manager of Smithbridge Guam Inc. Radonich was born in Thames, New Zealand. He pursued a fitting, welding and machining apprenticeship at Wellington Polytechnic School in 1977. He then went on to receive his Institute of Management certificate from Waikato University, New Zealand in 1995.
He has held many management positions throughout his career. He was the marine division manager, operations manger, contracts manager and general manager for Page & Macrae Ltd. and the mechanical subcontracts manager for Smithbridge NZ Ltd.
Radonich has been on the board of directors for The Gusi Peace Prize Foundation, a nonprofit world peace organization since 2005. He is also a member of the New Zealand Jaycees and is involved with the firearms training for the New Zealand Boy Scouts and firearm youth training. He is also a supporter of several organizations including the Guam Contractors Association, GCA Trades Academy, Guam Chamber of Commerce, Guam Police Volunteers and the Guam office of Veterans Affairs.
He is married to Karen A. Radonich, and they have four children: the late Jason F. Radonich; Belinda J. Radonich, 43; Karll S. Radonich, 36; Megan D. Vinnicombe, 35
Jeffrey A. Voacolo
Chief operations officer
Micronesia Renewable Energy Inc.
Jeffrey A.Voacolo, 56, is the chief operations officer for Micronesia Renewable Energy Inc. He was born in Trenton, New Jersey. He enlisted in the U.S. Naval Seabees after graduating from high school and after serving nine years, Voacolo received more than 65 electrical course certifications, including an electrical engineering degree. He holds an electrical contractors license in New Jersey and Guam. He also has a master’s electrician certificate in New Jersey.
Voacolo notes among his accomplishments completing a project placing solar energy, electrical distribution and a battery storage plant on school buildings in Parampei, an island off of Pohnpei. The project also provided computers for the students to use for the first time.
Micronesia Renewable Energy is a supporter of the Guam Cancer Association and the American Red Cross. In the past, Voacolo was involved with the Boy Scouts and the Special Olympics.
He is married to Tracy Ann Voacolo, and their children are Jeffrey S. Voacolo, 28; Michelle Voacolo, 25; Ashley Hossler, 25; and Lauren Hossler, 23.
Past Executive of the Year winners
Robert H. Jones of Triple J Enterprises (1983); John M. Borlas of MITECO Pacific (1984); Philip J. Flores of BankPacific (1985); Doris F. Brooks of the Office of Public Accountability (1986); Mark V. Pangilinan of M.V. Pangilinan Enterprises Inc. (1987); Allen A. Pickens of Tax-Aide (1988); the late T. Roy Sullivan of Jones & Guerrero Co. (1989); Kurt S. Moylan of Moylan’s Insurance (1990); the late Akira “Mike” Baba of Baba Corp. (1991); Paul M. Calvo of Calvo Enterprises Inc. (1992); Antoinette D. Sanford of the Sanford Technology Group (1993); the late Kenneth T. Jones of Jones & Guerrero Co. (1994); the late Edward M. Calvo of Calvo Enterprises Inc. (1995); L. Carl Peterson of Money Resources Inc. (1996); William R. Thompson (1997); the late John K. Lee of First Hawaiian Bank (1998); the late Henry L. Schnabel of Calvo’s Insurance Underwriters (1999); Marian Aldan-Pierce of DFS Saipan (2000); Manfred H. Pieper of Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia (2001); Thomas G. Ahillen of Asia Pacific Solutions LLC (2002); Juan T. Guerrero of Herman’s Modern Bakery Inc. (2003); Joseph M. Crisostomo of Cars Plus LLC, Cycles Plus and Payless Car Rental (2004); Joseph “Jerry” Kramer of Pacific International Inc. (2004); David M. Sablan of the Century Group of Companies (2005); Alfred C. Ysrael of Tanota Partners (2006); Lee P. Webber of Micronesian Divers Association Inc. (2007); Laura-Lynn V. Dacanay of First Hawaiian Bank (2008); Jerry Cho Yee Tan of Tan Holdings Inc. (2009); Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero of Bank of Guam (2010); Jay R. Shedd of Sorensen Media Group (2011); Jerrold C. Johnson of Hawaiian Rock Products (2012); George Chiu of Tan Holdings (2013); Norman T. Tenorio of Joeten Enterprises Inc., Pacifica Insurance Underwriters Inc., Tropical Instant Press Inc., Saipan Shipping Co. and Advance Carrier (2014); and Jeffrey B. Jones of Triple J Enterprises Inc. (2015).