Outrigger Enterprises Group announced Simeon Miranda as corporate director – operations, Pacific. Miranda will relocate to Guam from Hawaii, where he was most recently general manager of the Outrigger-managed Holiday Inn Waikiki Beachcomber Resort. Miranda will become Outrigger’s corporate representative within the Western Pacific region with oversight of the Outrigger Guam Beach Resort and any future Outrigger properties that may open within the region, according to a release from the company. Miranda has more than 27 years of executive hospitality management experience and holds a bachelor’s in business administration and marketing from Seattle University.

Francis Santos has been hired as the chief financial officer for Guam Regional Medical City. Santos is a former senator but has largely spent his career in the insurance industry, focusing on group health plans. In 1988 he helped establish the StayWell Health Plan, eventually rising to become plan administrator, as well as president and CEO of Island Home Insurance Co. He is a graduate of Seattle University and holds a master’s degree in health management from Loma Linda University.

Joaquin P.L.G. Cook was promoted to executive vice president/chief sales officer for Bank of Guam. Cook has been with the bank for a total of 12 years and previously held the position of compliance department manager. He holds a bachelor’s in management science from the University of California San Diego and a master’s in business administration from the University of San Diego.

Logan G. Reyes has joined IT&E as the marketing services manager. He was previously the marketing director for Market Wholesale Distributors Inc. He holds a bachelor’s in psychology from Miami University in Ohio.

Samuel M. Sotelo Jr. has been hired as general sales manager at Cars Plus. Sotelo was formerly director of marketing and communications at Atkins Kroll Guam Inc. He brings 14 years of experience in automotive sales and marketing.

The Guam Chamber of Commerce announced Regine B. Lee, public relations and account manager for Ruder Integrated Marketing Strategies, as the 2014 Reina A. Leddy Guam Young Professional of the Year at the group’s Event of the Year on Jan. 23 at the Lotte Hotel Guam. The Guam Young Professionals is a committee of the Guam Chamber of Commerce.

The Marshall Islands Chamber of Commerce elected new officers on Jan. 28 at its annual general meeting. The new officers elected are Ellen Milne, consultant, Asian Development Bank, as president; Charles Stinnet, general manager, Majuro Stevedore, as vice president; James A. McLean, chief information officer, Marshall Islands Holding Inc., as secretary; and Salome Andrike, Marshall Islands manager, United Airlines, as treasurer.

The Democratic Caucus of the House Natural Resources Committee appointed Congressman Gregorio “Kilili” C. Sablan vice ranking member for the entire committee on Jan. 27. Sablan is one of the senior members on the committee, having served six years. Along with his committee-wide responsibilities, Sablan also joined the new subcommittees on Indian, Insular and Native Alaska Affairs and on Water, Power and Oceans.

Congressman Gregorio “Kilili” C. Sablan received an award for educational leadership during the 2015 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education program and Innovation Congressional welcoming reception on Jan. 28 at the U.S. Capitol. STEM4US! is a nonprofit organization to develop young adults’ interest in professions involved with science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.

The Department of the Interior’s Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas Esther Kia’aina announced Jan. 9 the selection of retired U.S. Army Col. Harry Camacho Blanco, who was born and raised in the Northern Marianas Islands, to serve as the Office of Insular Affairs field representative in the Northern Mariana Islands. Blanco is the first person from the Northern Marianas to achieve the rank of colonel in the U.S. Army and is the NMI’s highest-ranking Army officer.

Gov. Edward B. Calvo appointed seven individuals to his cabinet as directors of governmental agencies. Effective Feb. 2, Felix C. Benavente will be deputy director for the Department of Public Works; Peter A. Ada will be deputy director for the Department of Youth Affairs; and William Reyes will be deputy director for the Department of Parks and Recreation. Effective Feb. 9, Anthony Blaz and Alfred F. Duenas will be the director and deputy director, respectively, of the Department of Administration; Jose S. Calvo and Lester L. Carlson Jr. will be the director and deputy director of the Bureau of Budget & Management Research.

Benita Manglona has been appointed by Gov. Edward B. Calvo as the full-time chief financial officer of the Guam Memorial Hospital, effective Feb. 8. She had been leading the Department of Administration and also filling in as the acting chief financial officer for the hospital.

The Guam Visitors Bureau board of directors officially named Jon Nathan P. Denight as the new general manager of the agency during a board meeting on Jan. 22. Denight is the replacement for Karl A. Pangelinan, whose plans were to return to the private sector.

Telo Taitague has been officially selected as the deputy general manager for the Guam Visitors Bureau, filling the role of Jon Nathan P. Denight, who is now general manager. Taitague most recently served as the governor’s liaison to the Guam Legislature, Judicial Branch, Mayors’ Council and Foreign Affairs. She was also a senator in the 30th Guam Legislature.

The board of directors of the Guam Visitors Bureau unanimously re-elected Mark S. Baldyga, president and CEO of Baldyga Group, as the chairman on Jan. 8. Baldyga has previously served two years as chairman and two years as vice chairman in addition to serving in other capacities.

Bruce Kloppenburg, executive vice president of Kloppenburg Enterprises Inc., was re-elected as vice chairman of the Guam Visitors Bureau’s board of directors and also as chairman of the China Marketing Committee and vice chair of the Korea and Russia marketing committees. He has served as a GVB director for 22 years.

Also elected to the Guam Visitors Bureau board of directors:

• Bartley A. Jackson — president, general manager and co-owner of Santa Fe Hotel; chief operating officer of B&G Pacific; and chairman of the Guam Hotel & Restaurant Association — was elected to chair the Korea and Russia marketing committees.
• Hong Soon Im — president of Tagada Guam Amusement Park and president and co-owner of ISH Corp., which does business as Miki Limousine Service, Miki Advertising Service and Miki Taxi Service — was elected as vice chair of the Korea and Russia marketing committees.
• Samuel V. Shinohara, managing director of business development for the Asia-Pacific region for United Airlines, was elected to the position of director and treasurer.
• Theresa C. Arriola, director of sales and marketing at Pa’a Taotao Tano, was elected secretary and head of the Cultural & Heritage and North America & Pacific committees.
• Shinohara and Arriola join Eduardo “Champ” Calvo, partner at Calvo Fisher & Jacob LLP, as members of the Executive Committee.
• Clifford Guzman, president and partner of Galaide Group LLC, will lead Membership & Community Development.
• Sinajana Mayor Robert Hoffman will chair Destination Management with Guzman and Im as vice chairs.
• Milton K. Morinaga, managing director of PHR Ken Micronesia, will lead the Japan Marketing Committee together with Shinohara and Norio Nakajima, president and general manager of Jaipak and Micronesian Hospitality Inc.

The Mayors’ Council of Guam announced the election of its new officers on Jan. 6. Elected were Mayor Paul McDonald of Agana Heights as president; MayorLouise C. Rivera of Tamuning-Tumon-Harmon as vice president; Mayor Carol Tayama of Agat as secretary; Vice Mayor Rudy D. Iriarte of Sinajana as treasurer; and Mayor John Cruz of Hagåtña as sergeant-at-arms.

Delta Airlines has been ranked number 39 of 50 on Fortune magazine’s annual most admired companies list. The ranking marks the second straight year the airline has made the list. Delta was also named the most admired airline in four out of the five past years.

Oliver Cases, bell staff team leader; Jose Magday Jr., food and beverage supervisor; and John Escalante, HVAC technician, were named the December employees of the month for Lotte Hotel Guam. The employees were acknowledged for improving the company’s image, conducting good deeds, improving the work environment and enhancing operations.

Joel F. Banjo-Johnson has been appointed chief of 36th Wing Public Affairs at Andersen Air Force Base. Banjo-Johnson was previously executive officer and aide-de-camp to director, COMISAF Liaison to the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. She holds a 2009 bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism and German from East Carolina University.

The University of Guam announced on Feb. 15 the hiring of Randall Wiegand as its vice president of administration and finance. He became the chief financial officer of Guam Power Authority in 2003 and continued on to have positions as audit manager at the Guam Office of the Public Auditor, underwriting manager for Pacificare Asia Pacific, comptroller for GPA and audit supervisor for Deloitte & Touche. Wiegand holds credentials as a certified public accountant, a certified government financial manager and a certified fraud examiner. Wiegand received his bachelor’s in business finance from Seattle Pacific University and his master’s in business administration from the University of Washington.

New officers of the Guam Bar Association were sworn in at the annual meeting on Feb. 19: Atty. Harold F. Parker, executive director, Guam Legal Services Corp., member at large; Atty. Philip J. Tydingco, chief prosecutor, Office of the Attorney General, treasurer; Atty. Michael A. Pangelinan, Calvo, Fisher & Jacob LLP, vice president; Atty. Jehan’Ad G. Martinez, principal, Blair, Sterling, Johnson & Martinez, president; Atty. Georgette Concepcion, Law Office of Georgette Bello Concepcion, treasurer; and Atty. Dana A. Gutierrez, Thompson, Gutierrez & Alcantara, member at large.

An evaluation from the U.S. Geological Survey named the University of Guam’s Water and Environmental Research Institute among the top water research institutes among 54 similar water research institutes and centers evaluated across the nation from 2008 and 2010. USGS, which provides grant funding for WERI, recognized the institute for its “significant research accomplishments” and its “impacts on public policy and water management throughout the region.” WERI provides scientific advice to the public and private sectors.

The Guam and Regional Veterans Healthcare Council formed by Peter R. Sgro Jr., president of International Group Inc., announced on Feb. 19 its 25 council members. Sgro will serve as chairman, while former assistant secretary of the Navy B.J. Penn and former regional director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Thomas Lorentzen will serve as senior advisors to the council.

Additional members of the council include Ret. Sgt. Maj. Juan O. Blas, U.S. Army; Dr. Hoa Nguyen, American Medical Center; Dr. Nathaniel Berg, owner, Guam Radiology Consultants; Dr. Saied Safabakhsh, Pacific Medical Group; Dr. Hieu Campus, American Medical Center; Margaret Hattori-Uchima, dean, University of Guam School of Nursing and Health Sciences; Ret. Lt. Col. Mark G. Calvo, director of military buildup and infrastructure, Office of the Governor; Sen. Frank B. Aguon Jr., chair of the Committee on the Guam U.S. Military Relocation, Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs and Judiciary, 33rd Guam Legislature; Michael Ady, owner, M80 Systems Inc.; Joyleen Certeza, technical sergeant, U.S. Air Force Reserve Command, public affairs officer for the Iraq, Afghanistan, Persian Gulf Veterans of the Pacific; Lee P. Webber, president, Micronesian Divers Association; Patricia Taimanglo, chief clinical psychologist, Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse; Florence Sgro Blas, psychologist, Health Services of the Pacific; John Setiadi Tan, president, Setiadi Architects LLC; Edward G. Untalan, senior vice president and Maite banking center manager, First Hawaiian Bank; Atty. Cesar C. Cabot, senior partner and founder, Cabot Mantanona LLP; Richard Cruz, researcher, Guam and Regional Veterans Healthcare Council; Arvin Lojo, senior product and pricing manager, TakeCare Insurance Co. Inc.; Gina Ramos, special projects manager, Calvo’s SelectCare; Jerry Crisostomo, plan administrator, NetCare Life & Health Insurance Co.; Maureen N. Maratita, publisher, Glimpses Publications; and W. Ray Gibson, director of radio operations, Sorensen Media Group.

The Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Guam made elections to its board of directors during the Chinese New Year Gala held on Feb. 28. The following 17 new directors have been elected to serve two-year terms: Benson Au-Yeung, president and owner, Benz Signs; Jack Chan, owner, Home Mart Guam; Justin Chen, general manager and training manager, Panda Express Guam; Peter Chiu, president, Designer’s Focus Inc.; Billy Hon, owner, Hafa Adai Color; Atty. Frederick J. Horecky; Alfred Lam, owner and president, Green Energy Solutions Inc.; Edson Lai, general manager, Quality Distributors; William N. Li, assistant vice president and marketing officer, Bank of Guam; Gary K. Sung, president and owner, Ideal Advertising; Tiffany C. Tam, marketing manager, IP&E Holdings LLC; Nancy A. Tan, assistant manager, First Net Insurance Co.; Xiaoling Tao, assistant retail director, City Hill Co. Guam Ltd.; Albert Wu, president and CEO, Fada Investment LLC; Ronald M. Young, secretary and treasurer, Security Title Inc.; Mark Zhao, managing director, Pioneer Realty; and Victor Zhou, general manager, American Black Dragon Inc.

Atty. Cynthia V. Ecube was awarded the Cristobal C. Duenas
Excellence Award on Feb. 19 at the annual District Conference of the District Court of Guam. Ecube is the fourth recipient and the first woman to receive the award. (From left) Linda L. Ingles, administrative hearings officer; Justice Katherine A. Maraman; Justice F. Philip Carbullido; Chief Justice Robert J. Torres Jr.; U.S. Magistrate Judge Joaquin V.E. Manibusan Jr.; Chief Judge Frances M. Tydingco-Gatewood; Ecube; Judge Michael Bordallo; Rebecca Ecube, mother of Cynthia; Circuit Judge M. Margaret McKeown; Atty. Rodney Jacob; and Judge Arthur Barcinas.
Photo by Justin Green