Bank of Guam’s Guam Branch Office was named Small Business Administration’s “Lender of the Year” by the U.S. Small Business Administration, and Bank of Guam’s relationship banking manager, Christopher Cruz, was named SBA’s Banker of the Year for fiscal 2017. SBA grants Lender of the Year and Banker of the Year honors to the SBA lending institution and bank officer who approves the highest number of SBA-backed loans in a fiscal year. Bank of Guam received the Lender of the Year honors by lending more than $2.4 million to small businesses. 

(From left) Patricia Salas, vice president, relationship banking group manager, Bank of Guam; Gigi Mueller, lender relations specialist, U.S. Small Business Administration; Joyce Miyashita, senior vice president, chief credit officer; Vanessa Quinata, assistant vice president, corporate banking group officer; Janine Eustaquio, assistant vice president, corporate banking group officer; Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero, president, CEO; Joaquin P.L.G. Cook, executive vice president, chief sales and service officer; Christopher Cruz, vice president, relationship banking manager; Kal Rengiil, vice president, corporate banking group manager, all with BOG; Kenneth Q. Lujan, branch manager, SBA; Maria Eugenia H. Leon Guerrero, vice president, corporate banking group manager; and William Leon Guerrero, executive vice president, chief operating officer, both with BOG.

Photo courtesy of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Guam Branch Office

The Marianas Visitors Authority Board of Directors presented plaques of appreciation to Marian Aldan-Pierce and Emma Villagomez on Oct. 23 at Hyatt Regency Saipan. Aldan-Pierce is the longest-serving director and served several terms as chairwoman since her first appointment in 1993. Villagomez has served several years as board treasurer.

Marian Aldan-Pierce and Emma Villagomez are presented plaques of appreciation by the Marianas Visitors Authority board of directors. (From left) Kwang Joon “KJ” Kim, vice president, Tan Holdings Corp., and secretary; Christopher A. Concepcion, managing director; Emma Villagomez, product support manager, and member; Marian Aldan-Pierce, president, both with DFS Saipan Ltd., and vice chairwoman; Gloria C. Cavanagh, general manager, Mariana Resort & Spa, and chairwoman; Nick K. Nishikawa, general manager, Hyatt Regency Saipan, and treasurer; Judy Torres, deputy managing director; Christopher J. Nelson, president and managing partner, Flame Tree TV and Production Co., owner and founder, Marianas Trekking, and vice chairman; and Jerry C.Y. Tan, president, Tan Holdings Corp., and member, all with the MVA. 

Photo courtesy of the Marianas Visitors Authority

First Hawaiian Bank announced on Nov. 14 the appointment of Alan K. Tamanaha as vice president and business banking officer, Maite Branch. Tamanaha has more than 37 years of banking industry experience and had previously worked for First Hawaiian Bank from 2002 to 2016. Based in Hawaii, Alan provides credit training, underwriting supervision and credit management for the Guam and Saipan commercial team. His previous experience includes commercial lending, relationship management, business development and credit administration. 

Tamanaha holds a bachelor’s in accounting from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and is a graduate of the Masters Level Extension Program at the University of Washington, Pacific Coast Banking School. He sits on the board of directors for the Hawaii Justice Foundation and Mental Health Kokua.

The Guam Chamber of Commerce elected eight board directors for the 2018 Chamber year during its annual membership meeting on Nov. 16. The six voting directors elected to serve a three-year term are: Joe M. Arnett, tax advisor, Deloitte & Touche LLP; Jonathan Kriegel, president and CEO, Docomo Pacific Inc.; Sandra H. McKeever, president and CEO, Asia Pacific Financial Management Group; Kim Anderson Young, president and founder, Security Title Inc.; Mark J. Sablan, vice president business development, South Pacific Petroleum Corp.; and Mark Tokito, senior vice president, Bank of Hawaii. The two alternate directors elected to serve a one-year term are Ernie Galito, marketing and communications director, Atkins Kroll Inc. and Siska S. Hutapea, president, Cornerstone Valuation Guam Inc.

Janice E. Castro was appointed director of the Division of Coastal Resources Management by the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality Administrator Eli D. Cabrera. Castro has served as acting director for DCRM since June. She has held various positions in both the private and public sector to include the executive assistant for Alter City Group Inc., grants specialist in the Office of Grants Management under the Office of the Governor and natural resource planner for the Division of Environmental Quality. 

Castro graduated from Seattle University with a 2008 bachelor’s in environmental studies and a minor in philosophy. 

Juan S.N. Lizama was appointed vice president, Saipan area manager and Oleai Branch manager for First Hawaiian Bank in Saipan, effective Dec. 4. Lizama, who previously served as First Hawaiian Bank’s Gualo Rai branch manager, has more than 42 years of financial services experience, joining First Hawaiian in 2001 and promoted in 2006 to Saipan Area Manager.    

Vickie Izuka was promoted to vice president and Gualo Rai Branch manager for First Hawaiian Bank in Saipan, effective Dec. 4, replacing Juan Lizama. Izuka has more than 33 years of banking industry experience in the areas of residential mortgage, real estate and corporate finance and commercial and business banking. 

The Saipan Young Professionals Committee named the winners of their 2017 Community Leadership Award, SYP Rookie of the Year Award and Saipan Young Professional of the Year Award at the annual SYP holiday party on Dec. 8 at the Kanoa Resort Saipan. The winners are:

• Community Leadership Award: Nicole Babauta, director, CNMI Small Business Development Center
• SYP Rookie of the Year Award: Shayne Villanueva, operations manager, Aon Insurance; owner, Roil Soil Clothing Co. 
• Saipan Young Professional of the Year Award: Kristal Ann Johnson, teacher, Koblerville Elementary School; owner, Zshop

Nominees for the awards were: Emanuel Borja, environmental engineer, Hofschneider Engineering Corp. and Glen Hunter, owner and general manager, The Shack, for Community Leadership Award; Tania David, assistant vice president and operations manager, Bank of Guam, for SYP Rookie of the Year Award; Janel Pangelinan, claims examiner, Pacifica Insurance Underwriters Inc. and Lester F. Babauta, project coordinator, N15 Architects for Saipan Young Professional of the Year Award.

Steven R. Surban was appointed general manager of Assurance Brokers on Aug. 28. Prior to this, Surban had worked since late 2014 as group (regional) claims manager of the Century Insurance Group of Companies, managing the claims services for its three member companies; Century Insurance Co. Ltd. of Saipan, Century Insurance Co. (Guam) Ltd. and Century Insurance Co. (PNG) Ltd. of Papua New Guinea. 

Surban earned a 1996 bachelor’s in business administration and international business from the University of San Francisco. He is an active member of the Insurance Association of Guam and Guam Claims Adjusters Association.

Pacific Airport Services, a Saipan-based airline ground handling, cargo and maintenance services company, was named the 2016 top ground handler in Asia by UAS International Trip Support, an international aviation services company. The award was presented to Pacific Airport Services president Robert Hudkins during a March 2017 ceremony in Dubai. Pacific Airport Services has operations in Saipan, Guam and Palau.

FHP’s CT scan machine was accredited by the American College of Radiology for another three years according to a Nov. 6 release. The CT scan machine has been accredited since 2012 and will now be accredited until January 2021. The ACR awards accreditation to facilities after a peer-reviewed evaluation of the practice which is conducted by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field. 

The Society for Human Resources Management Guam Chapter is one of 12 SHRM chapters that won a 2017 Pinnacle Award during a presentation in Washington D.C. on Nov. 17. The Guam chapter won the award for revamping the SHRM Guam Chapter Magazine and for exceeding its fundraising goals for the past several years. Winning programs received a $1,000 prize from Paychex Inc., sponsor of the 2017 Pinnacle Awards.

Bank of Guam commemorated the Santa Cruz branch’s 15 years of serving as the company’s headquarters by unveiling the 1975 Santa Cruz Time Capsule during a merienda on Nov. 21. The event included introduction of former branch managers, current staff, a documentary of the opening of the time capsule and its contents and a testimonial featuring key customers of the Santa Cruz Branch. 

Items in the time capsule included a proclamation given during the laying of the cornerstone and time capsule on May 10, 1975, a Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. certificate, annual reports from 1973 and 1974 and a guest book from Dec. 9, 1972. 

Randel L. Sablan was appointed director for the Northern Mariana Islands Joint Region Marianas Coordination Office in September 2016. He is responsible for coordination on behalf of the commander for regional military activities and executive level installation management support in the NMI. 

Sablan served as Environmental Director for the Joint Guam Program Office Forward under the assistant secretary of the Navy for Energy Installations and Environment from 2009 to 2016. Sablan has more than 26 years of environmental planning and management experience with JGPO Fwd, the Guam Environmental Protection Agency, where he served as acting administrator from 2004 to 2007, as well as chief planner and environmental planner from 1990 to 2007. Sablan also operated an environmental consulting company — Sablan Environmental Inc. — from 2007 to 2010.  

Sablan earned a 1990 bachelor’s in recreation resource management with a minor in landscape design from the College of Forestry at Oregon State University and a 2013 master’s of environmental management from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment. He has also completed executive education courses from various institutions including Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and Duke University.

Guam Women’s Chamber of Commerce announced the election of new board members on Nov. 16. Newly elected members are Michelle Crisostomo, communications officer, St. John’s School; Jackie Hanson, press secretary, Office of Senator Regine Biscoe Lee; Rindraty Celes Limtiaco, president, Pacific Daily News; and Holly Rustick, owner, WEGO Consulting. Voting for the 2018 Board of Directors took place during the organization’s membership meeting at the Pacific Star Resort & Spa. 

(From left) Lina Leon Guerrero, general manager, Sagua Mañagu and Marianas Physician’s Group; Kathy Sgro, chairman and executive vice-president, Pay-Less Markets Inc.; Pamela Quinata, general manager, Xerox Corp.; Siska S. Hutapea, president, Cornerstone Valuation; Mary Okada, president, Guam Community College; Rindraty Celes Limtiaco, president, Pacific Daily News; Michelle Crisostomo, communications officer, St. John’s School; Holly Rustick, owner, WEGO Consulting; Jackie Hanson, press secretary, Office of Senator Regine Biscoe Lee; Margaret Tyquiengco, president, MRT Business Development & Training; Patricia Salas vice president, relationship banking group manager. 

Photo courtesy of Guam Women’s Chamber of Commerce

Chili’s Grill & Bar Guam was recognized with the Above the Line recognition award when it joined other franchise partners and operators for the Asia Owners and Marketing Summit in Hong Kong on Nov. 7 to Nov. 9. Jorge Pederzini, director of global marketing for Chili’s, presented the award to Marcos W. Fong, managing director of Nakicos Corp. — which does business as Chili’s Guam — and Shane Hernandez, general manager of Chili’s Guam, for embracing technology as it relates to enhancing the guest experience.

(From left) Marcos W. Fong, managing director, Nakicos Corp.; Shane Hernandez, general manager, Chili’s Guam; and Jorge Pederzini, director of global marketing for Chili’s.

Photo courtesy of Brinker International