The Chamber of Commerce Hawaii — as trustee of the Public Health Fund — is accepting applications for funding of health-related initiatives on Oahu. Through the Public Health Fund, the chamber provides grants to nonprofit organizations on the island that are implementing meaningful public health education and research projects, with a preference for projects that require collaborative effort and for which funds are not available from other sources.

Grant applications are due Dec. 15. Applications can be downloaded at bit.ly/2i4inGw or requested by emailing phf@cochawaii.org.

Duke to become chairwoman of Wells Fargo

SAN FRANCISCO >> Wells Fargo & Co. said Tuesday that Elizabeth Duke will become its chairwoman next year, making her the first woman to hold the position at a major Wall Street bank.

Duke, a former member of the Federal Reserve’s governing board, will replace Stephen Sanger on Jan. 1., the bank said in a statement. Sanger took over as independent chairman late last year after John Stumpf, Wells Fargo’s then CEO and chairman, abruptly resigned in the aftermath of the bank’s sales practices scandal.

While Sanger was applauded for the sales-scandal investigation, investors said he and the board shared some responsibility for how Wells Fargo operated in the years before the scandal broke. Sanger barely survived a vote to remove him from the board.

Duke was a member of the Federal Reserve’s board of governors from 2008 to 2013.

Homebuilders’ confidence up in August

U.S. homebuilders are feeling more optimistic about their sales prospects, reflecting a pickup in demand and positive expectations about further growth the rest of this year.

The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index released Tuesday rose to 68 this month. That’s up four points from a reading of 64 in July and the highest level since May.

Readings above 50 indicate more builders view sales conditions as good rather than poor. The index has been above 60 since September.

“The fact that builder confidence has returned to the healthy levels we saw this spring is consistent with our forecast for a gradual strengthening in the housing market,” said Robert Dietz, the NAHB’s chief economist.

ON THE MOVE

>> ABC Stores has promoted Tracy Ida to controller from assistant controller. She joined in 2016, with experience including the University of Hawaii Foundation, where she oversaw financial operations including the foundation’s endowment.

>> Central Pacific Bank has announced the following appointments to its Home Loans Division: Rusty Rasmussen as senior vice president and production manager, Home Loans Division. His more than 30 years’ experience in mortgage industry management include being branch manager for Castle & Cooke Mortgage, and he also serves as president of the Mortgage Bankers Association of Hawaii board of directors. Gayle Ishima as vice president and director of mortgage operations and compliance, Home Loans Division. She has more than 30 years’ experience in the financial industry, was previously operations manager for Hawaii National Bank, and also serves as a member of the Mortgage Bankers Association of Hawaii board of directors, where she also previously served as president.

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