Kirby
United Continental Holdings Inc. announced on Aug. 29 that Scott Kirby has been named president of United Airlines. In this newly created role, Kirby will assume responsibility for United’s operations, marketing, sales, alliances, network planning and revenue management. He will report to Oscar Munoz, United’s CEO. Kirby had previously been president of American Airlines since the merger of American and U.S. Airways in 2013.
Yamamoto
Dr. Michele Yamamoto joined Guam Regional Medical City as an infectious disease control physician and hospitalist after completing a clinical fellowship in infectious diseases and immunology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Yamamoto served her residency at Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island, a Brown University teaching hospital. She holds a doctor of medicine from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila and is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and licensed to practice medicine in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, the Philippines and Guam.
Shapiro
Dr. Anna Bovill Shapiro joined Guam Regional Medical City as an anesthesiologist. She joins GRMC from Stanford University, where she was a fellow in critical care medicine. Shapiro completed her residency at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, and she completed a transitional internship at San Diego’s Scripps Mercy Hospital. Shapiro holds a doctor of medicine from the University of Vermont College of Medicine in Burlington, Va., and a bachelor’s in biology from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va. Shapiro is licensed to practice medicine in California and Guam and is certified in advanced cardiac life support, pediatric advanced life support and advanced trauma life support.
Agustin
Dr. Michael Agustin joined Guam Regional Medical City as a pulmonologist and critical care physician, after completing a fellowship program at the St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Boston, a Tufts University teaching hospital. Agustin did his residency in internal medicine at the Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island. He holds a doctor of medicine from the University of Santo Tomas and is board certified in internal medicine and pulmonary subspecialty. He holds medical training licenses in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and the Philippines.
Jenson
The University of Guam appointed John Jenson as director of its Water and Environmental Research Institute of the Western Pacific beginning Oct. 1. Jenson replaces Sharam Khosrowpanah, who was named interim dean of the School of Engineering. Jenson has served as a professor of environmental geology at UOG and a hydrogeologist at WERI for 23 years. He holds a 1976 master’s in applied economics from the University of Michigan and a 1993 doctor of philosophy in geology from Oregon State University.
Cho
Harrison Cho joined The Westin Resort Guam in July 2015 as general manager. He was previously executive assistant manager at W Seoul Walkerhill from 2005. Cho has 29 years of experience in the hospitality industry and holds a doctor of philosophy in hotel and tourism management from the Graduate School of Sejong University in Seoul, a master’s in international hotel management and a bachelor’s in English language and literature from the University of Surrey in Guildford, United Kingdom.
Koshikawa
Shinichi Koshikawa joined The Westin Resort Guam in September 2015 as executive assistant manager of operations. He was previously director of business development at The Westin Tokyo from 1995. Koshikawa has 22 years of experience and holds a bachelor’s in hotel administration from the University of Nevada Las Vegas and in Drama from Waseda University in Tokyo.
Perez
Bank of Hawaii announced on Sept. 1 its appointment of Vincent B. Perez, who will rejoin the bank as vice president and commercial banking officer of the Guam Commercial Banking Center. Perez previously worked as a real estate loan underwriter at Luther Burbank Savings and as an assistant vice president and senior credit analyst at California Bank & Trust’s corporate banking group for the past four years, both in San Francisco. Perez holds a bachelor’s in business administration from the University of Guam and will earn his master’s in Asia Pacific studies from the University of San Francisco in December. He is a member of the Guam Young Professionals and the Asia Society of Northern California.
Miyashita
Jason B. Miyashita, senior vice president, investments and senior institutional consultant at Raymond James, obtained the Certified Investment Management Analyst certification. Fewer than 1% of financial service professionals hold CIMA certification, which is delivered by Investment Management Consultants Association and is the only credential designed specifically for investment advisers and consultants. Miyashita has worked at Raymond James since 2015 and has more than 14 years of financial services experience. He holds a bachelor’s in accounting, finance and strategic management from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. He also holds the Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist professional designation by the College for Financial Planning and the Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst professional designation awarded by the Center for Fiduciary Studies, which is associated with the University of Pittsburgh Katz Graduate School of Business.
Benavente
Vicky I. Benavente joined the Office of the Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands as the special assistant on project development. Benavente served as an executive administrative assistant for the Pacific Islands Club Saipan from December 2008 to July 2016 and has previously worked for the Hyatt Regency Saipan as a manager and the Marianas Visitors Authority as the managing director as well as the deputy managing director. She holds a 2004 bachelor’s from the University of Hawaii School of Travel Industry Management. She serves as the chairwoman for the Marianas Tourism Education Council, a member of the Saipan Fishermen’s Association and a volunteer for the Empty Vessel Ministry Foundation.
Ridgell
Clynton E. Ridgell was appointed director of policy planning and community relations for the Judiciary of Guam on Sept. 19. He was news director and news anchor for Pacific News Center from May 2015 to September 2016; news anchor for Pacific News Center from October 2009 to May 2015; and news reporter for KUAM from May 2004 to October 2009. Ridgell has 12 years of experience in media and holds a bachelor’s in communications from the University of Guam.
Richard K. Lai
Artero
Cepeda
George Lai
The Guam Football Association held a re-election during the organization’s 2016 ordinary congress on Sept. 10. Richard K. Lai retains his seat as the association president for another four years. Pascual Artero and Joseph Cepeda will also continue as GFA’s vice presidents, and George Lai keeps his spot in the executive committee. All four ran unopposed and received unanimous approval by 12 of the 13 member clubs present at the congress.
Kwak
James C. Kwak joined Ernst & Young LLP Guam on Aug. 8 as assurance manager. He has more than 14 years of experience in finance, corporate and public accounting in Korea and the United States, having previously worked for KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Standard & Poor’s and Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction. Kwak holds a master of business administration from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia and a bachelor’s in accounting from the Pennsylvania State University. He obtained his Certified Public Accountant license in 2002 from the state of Pennsylvania.
Ryu
Kunn Richard Ryu joined Ernst & Young LLP Guam on Sept. 1 as information technology risk and assurance manager. He has more than 15 years of experience in IT audit, corporate security and supply chain management in the United States and Korea, having previously worked for Kimberly Clark, Toyota, KPMG and Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction. Ryu holds a bachelor’s in marketing, logistics and transportation from the University of Tennessee and is a Certified Information Systems Audit and EnCase Certified Examiner.
Ratwatte
Shamika Ratwatte joined Ernst & Young LLP Saipan as assurance manager – Saipan. He has six years of experience in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Prior to joining the firm, he worked in the private industry in Hawaii and Sri Lanka. Ratwatte holds a master of business administration with a concentration in accounting from Hawaii Pacific University. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Saipan and is the treasurer of the Marianas Tourism Education Council.
Carrera
Elmore
De Jesus
Sorensen Media Group announced on Sept. 16 its promotion of Janela Carrera to news director for Pacific News Center. Carrera has six years of experience in media and most recently served as the company’s assistant news director. In addition, Rebecca Elmore and Donna De Jesus joined PNC News First as reporters. Elmore covers education and tourism and has a bachelor’s in communications from the University of Colorado, Denver. She is pursuing a master’s in public administration at the University of Guam. De Jesus has three years of radio news experience and previously worked as a freelance voice-over artist. She covers public safety and courts.
Young
Choice Broadcasting announced the following appointments:
Kristine “Kai” Young joined the team as content manager and morning radio personality to head KNUT 101 FM, which re-launched this fall. Young holds a 2004 bachelor’s in communication from the University of Guam and has more than 10 years of experience in local radio in promotions and sales and as a radio personality, station manager and program director, previously at Sorensen Media Group.
Tamayo
Aaron Tamayo joined STAR 101 as an on-air talent and production director. He is in charge of the weekday afternoon slot. Tamayo started his radio career in 2004 and has worked with Hit Radio 100 and The KAT.
Lujan
Lagrimas “Pinki” Aflague Lujan joined the Guam Chamber of Commerce on Aug. 1 as membership development/public relations specialist. Prior to that, she was a retail store manager for IP&E’s Foody’s for two years and a wellness manager/public relations manager for Calvo’s Insurance Underwriters Inc. for eight years.
Singer
Darian Singer was promoted from human resources coordinator to human resources manager at the Dusit Thani Guam Resort. Singer was in her previous position since July 2015. She holds a 2016 bachelor’s in human resources management from the University of Maryland University College and an associate degree in Human Resources Professional certification.
(From left) Robert H. Jones, founder and chairman of Triple
J Enterprises Inc., and member; and Philip J. Flores, president
and CEO, BankPacific Ltd., and past president, both
with the Rotary Club of Guam.
Three Rotarian members were honored at the Rotary Club of Guam’s “Charter Night” on Aug. 30: Robert H. Jones, founder and chairman of Triple J Enterprises Inc. for 45 years of service; Past President Lawrence F. “Larry” Kasperbauer for 45 years; and David W. Cassidy, president of Cassidy’s Associated Insurers Inc., for 46 years.
The Guam Community College was selected as one of nine colleges across the nation for the 2016 Green Genome Award by the American Association of Community Colleges. AACC awarded GCC a 2016 AACC Sustainability Education and Economic Development Green Genome Strategic Partnership Award, accompanied by a $10,000. GCC’s application highlighted the college’s emphasis on providing courses such as the Photovoltaic Design and Installation, Intro to Renewable Energy, and its Environmental Technician Certificate program and upcoming Light Duty Hybrid/Electric Vehicle Specialist concentration.
ReMax Asyenda Realty Corp. was awarded Best Real Estate Brokerage Firm 2016 in the national division by the Golden Globe Annual Awards for Business Excellence on Sept. 24 at the Manila Hotel. Renie A. Llaneta, owner and president of ReMax Asyenda Realty, was also awarded the distinction of Excellent and Significant Achievement in Entrepreneurship.
Bank of Guam was awarded the Institute for Extraordinary Banking’s Banky Award on Sept. 21 in Chicago for its commitment to strong community banking. The bank also was announced the winner of the 2016 American Bankers Association Bank Marketing Video Contest in the $1 billion to $5 billion category at the ABA Marketing Conference on Sept. 26.
The U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement/Federal Bureau of Investigation joint facility of Micronesia CSL Development LLC was awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver status by the U.S. Green Building Council, according to a Sept. 12 release. MCSL, a venture between Calvo Enterprises Inc. and Shangri-La Industries of Los Angeles, completed the two-story, 30,000-square-foot facility in Tamuning in August 2014 utilizing the services of RIM Architects and Webcor Builders & Tutujan Hill Group Ltd. The LEED rating system is the Green Building Council’s system for design and construction of energy-efficient and high-performing buildings.
Torres
Guam Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert J. Torres was selected to be a member of the American Judge’s Association Executive Board. This marks the first time that a judge from Guam was selected to sit on this executive board, according to an Oct. 13 release from the Judiciary of Guam. Torres was previously elected to the board of governors and at this year’s annual conference in Toronto he was recommended to serve a one year term on the executive committee by AJA President Justice Russel Otter and unanimously approved by the AJA board. The AJA is the largest judges’ organization in North America representing all levels of courts and jurisdictions in the United States and Canada and elsewhere comprising of more than 3,000 members.
The Marianas Tourism Education Council elected officers for the new school year at its monthly membership meeting on Sept. 29, re-electing Vicky I. Benavente as chairwoman for a fifth term. Wendi Herring, general manager of Kanoa Resort, was elected anew as vice chairwoman, while Martin Duenas, community projects manager of the Marianas Visitors Authority, will continue as secretary, and Shamika Ratwatte, manager at Ernst & Young, as treasurer, respectively. The remainder of the MTEC board is comprised of Christopher A. Concepcion, Jonas Barcinas, Naomi Nishimura, Larry Lee, James Nelson, Gordon Marciano and Catherine Perry.
Bargfrede
Jon F. Bargfrede joined Bank of Hawaii as senior vice president and consumer lending manager – West Pacific, including dealer indirect lending, direct lending, mortgage and collections. Bargfrede has more than 25 years of experience in the financial industry. Prior to joining the bank, he was president and CEO of Bank of Saipan for 13 years. He holds a bachelor’s and master’s in business administration from Chaminade University of Honolulu and is a graduate of the Commonwealth Bank Graduate School of Retail Bank Management. n
(From left) Army Guard Chief Warrant Officer III Bernard Aguon; Brig. Gen. Roderick R. Leon Guerrero, adjutant general, Guam National Guard; Leigh Leilani Graham, area director, USO Hawaii and Guam; and Army Guard Major Manuel Duenas, president, National Guard Association of Guam.
Photo courtesy of the Guam National Guard
A member of the Guam National Guard and two civilians who have made significant contributions to advance the National Guard Association of the United States, its members and its mission, were selected and recognized during the annual conference on Sept. 10 in Baltimore, Md.
Leigh Leilani Graham, area director of USO Hawaii and Guam, received the Patrick Henry Award for exceptional service to the Armed Forces of the United States, the National Guard by a civic leader. For more than 15 years, Graham supported the Guam National Guard with USO care packages and “With you all the Way Deployment Kits” with teddy bears for children, as well as contributing to “Heroes Homecoming” events.
Chief Warrant Officer III Bernard Aguon, from the Guam Army National Guard’s GUARNG Element, received the Eagle Rising Award for Warrant Officers for outstanding achievements and service. Aguon has served for 26 years, first as a noncommissioned officer in the U.S. Army Reserve and now as a warrant officer in the Guam Guard. He was also deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Gov. Edward B. Calvo received the Charles Dick Medal of Merit for outstanding contributions to the National Guard by an elected official. Calvo was awarded for playing a significant role in charting the course of the impending military buildup, ensuring the inclusion of the Guam National Guard in rebalancing the military’s future missions on Guam and contributing to national security in the Asia-Pacific region.
GHD Inc. is a finalist in the global Be Inspired Awards for its work on the Ordot Dump closure on Guam. Hosted by software company Bentley Systems, the annual awards showcase excellence and innovation in the design, construction and operations of infrastructure projects around the world. The winners will be announced at The Year in Infrastructure 2016 Conference to be held Nov. 1–3 in London.
The Ordot Dump closure project was shortlisted in the Innovation in Construction category for its use of construction management software to support collaboration. The project was selected as a finalist by a panel of industry experts out of a total of more than 300 nominations from 80 countries.
Photo courtesy of GHD Inc.
