Central Pacific appoints Isono as CFO
The parent of Central Pacific Bank has appointed Denis Isono as chief financial officer, effective Saturday.
Isono replaces Larry Rodriguez, who will remain with Central Pacific Financial Corp. until Nov. 30 and will be retained by the bank as a consultant after that date.
Isono, currently the bank’s chief operations officer and executive vice president, has 39 years of experience in banking and financial management and has been with the company since 2002. He will retain his position as executive vice president. Isono previously served as controller and later as operations group manager of Bank of Hawaii and held prior financial management positions at Ernst & Young and City Bank.
Rodriguez joined the company as a consultant in January 2010 after retiring as managing partner of Ernst & Young LLP’s Hawaii office, and was appointed executive vice president and CFO in August 2010 to help lead the company’s efforts to raise capital.
State to get disability employment grant
The state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations-Workforce Development Council was notified Tuesday it will receive a $2.92 million federal grant to implement the Disability Employment Initiative program in Hawaii.
The grant will allow the state and counties to improve the accessibility and accountability of Hawaii’s public work-force development system for people with disabilities.
Hawaii’s approach focuses on the following strategic service delivery components: 1) Integrated resource teams; 2) Integrating resources and services, blending and braiding funds, leveraging resources; 3) Customized employment; 4) Asset development strategies; and 5) Partnerships and collaborations. The grant is only designed to serve two of the four counties to gauge success. The counties are chosen by lottery by the U.S. Labor Department.
Money will assist small-business exports
The state Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism has received a $485,719 grant from the STEP program of the U.S. Small Business Administration to increase the number of local small businesses that want to export as well as the value of exports for those small businesses that currently export.
Hawaii’s State Trade and Export Promotion Program, known as "HiSTEP," is built on a multifaceted approach that begins with ensuring that participating small businesses are prepared for exporting by providing them with a menu of targeted activities designed to generate new export sales for participating small businesses from key industry sectors. The grant from the SBA will cover 65 to 75 percent of DBEDT’s program costs. The total budget for HiSTEP is $859,868. The state and its partners will provide the additional $374,149 in cash and in-kind services.
Hospice Hawaii pediatric program debuts
Hospice Hawaii has officially launched Hawaii’s first hospice program catering to terminally ill children and their families. In addition to medical care and pain management, the Pediatric Hospice Care Program offers emotional and spiritual support to the child and the entire family. The program also teaches young patients about death and illness, while helping parents cope with loss.
Hospice Hawaii has provided end-of-life care for terminally ill patients for more than 30 years. It began developing its pediatric care program last year and already has provided pediatric hospice care to dozens of families.
Workplace ‘coming out’ event scheduled
Pride At Work Hawaii, which advocates for full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) workers in their workplaces and their unions, and works to build mutual support between the labor movement and the LGBT community, is presenting a free event during national "coming out" week to raise awareness of what it means for LGBT people to be "out" in their workplaces. Co-sponsors include Pride Alliance Hawaii, Unite Here Local 5, ILWU Local 142, and the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly.
The event, "Being Out At Work Hawaii," will be held at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 13 at the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Local 142, at 451 Atkinson Drive in Honolulu. The documentary, "Out At Work," will be shown and will be followed by a panel discussion with local LGBT workers. Pupus, drinks and popcorn will be provided. After the documentary, there will be a panel discussion including local LGBT working people followed by a group discussion.
ON THE MOVE
The Howard Hughes Corp. has appointed Bobbie Lau as general manager for Ward Centers, beginning Monday. She is currently the senior vice president of Colliers Monroe Friedlander, responsible for the overall operations of the Property Management Division. Lau has more than 15 years of commercial property management experience and has managed a portfolio of commercial office, retail and industrial properties. Before joining Colliers Monroe and Friedlander, Lau worked for American Savings Bank in its facilities management department.
Pyramid Hotel Group has appointed Paul Horner as resort manager of Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa, a 22-acre oceanfront resort on Hawaii island. Horner has more than 25 years of experience in the hotel and resort industry. In this newly created position, Horner will oversee details of day-to-day operations in various departments at Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa with an initial focus on food and beverage. Horner was general manager at Outrigger Keauhou Beach Hotel the past three years.