Hawaii nonprofit people in the news

Cultural center announces new president

Carole Hayashino has been named president and executive director of the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii by its board of directors, effective Jan. 9. She will succeed Lenny Yajima Andrew, longtime president and executive director, after the annual JCCH New Year's Ohana Festival, at which the center showcases its programs, classes and other aspects of the Japanese culture in Hawaii in a free public event. Andrew announced in August her intention to retire.

Hayashino is vice president for university advancement at California State University, Sacramento, where she oversees external relations encompassing private giving, alumni relations, university marketing and publications. In addition to other community service activities, Hayashino also has served as associate director of the Japanese American Citizens League in San Francisco and was involved in the national effort for redress and reparations for Americans of Japanese Ancestry interned during World War II.

> Kamehameha Schools has named Earl T. Kim as head of the school for its flagship Kapalama Campus. Kim is the superintendent of the Montgomery School District in New Jersey. He has been awarded the New Jersey Principal of the Year and School Leader Award and has a master's degree from Princeton University. A Kamehameha Schools spokesman says Kim is originally from Hawaii but is not of Native Hawaiian ancestry. The Kamehameha Schools were established in 1883 by the will of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop as a nonprofit trust that educates Hawaiian children.

> Lance Wilhelm has joined the boards of Kamehameha Schools and Enterprise Honolulu. He is the senior vice president and Hawaii area manager of Kiewit Building Group Inc., has been with the company for 22 years and has held virtually every line position in the company, from estimator and superintendant to project manager and business manager. In his current position, Wilhelm is responsible for the financial and operational performance of the Kiewit Building Group Inc. Hawaii area office and operational oversight for all Kiewit Building Group Inc. construction projects, marketing, business development, contract negotiations, labor relations, personnel development, legal and contract administration and corporate philanthropic oversight.

> Robert Hirokawa has been named CEO of the Hawaii Primary Care Association, replacing Beth Giesting, who was named the state's health care transformation coordinator. Hirokawa was most recently the HCPA's chief information officer, overseeing technical assistance to the state's 14 community health centers. He was previously an epidemiologist with the state Department of Health and the Healthy Hawaii Initiative.

> Association of Fundraising Professionals Aloha Chapter presented its Outstanding Philanthropy Awards at the National Philanthropy Day gala. Awardees include: Donna Vuchinich, Outstanding Professional Fundraiser, for her work as president and CEO of the University of Hawaii Foundation; Galen Ho, co-recipient of the Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser award, for fundraising work for Saint Louis School; Wilmer C. Morris, co-recipient of the Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser award, for work on behalf of the Hawaii Pacific University President's Fund; Edward Enterprises Inc., Outstanding Corporation, for work on behalf of the Hawaii Foodbank; Judith Pyle, Outstanding Philanthropist for a $2 million endowment to the Dean's Chair at the Hawaiinuiakea School of Hawaiian Knowledge at the University of Hawaii at Manoa; and Dick Grimm, winner of the Paulette V. Maehara Leadership Award for his turnaround tenure at the Hawaii Foodbank.

> National March of Dimes has honored John Henry Felix with its Elaine Whitelaw Volunteer Service Award. He is the chairman emeritus of the March of Dimes Hawaii Chapter as well as chairman of the March of Dimes national board of trustees, the first Hawaii resident to head a major national health agency.

> The Organization of Women Leaders has announced its 2011 Outstanding Women Leader awardees: Suzanne Jones, public-sector honoree, is the recycling branch chief for the city Department of Environmental Services; and Barbra Pleadwell, private-sector honoree, is a partner with Hastings & Pleadwell, a 15-year-old communications company that ranks among the top 10 Honolulu public relations companies.

> The Network of Volunteer Leaders has given the 2011 Volunteer Leader of the Year award to Paul Hoe. He is an assistant vice president and manager of the employee volunteer program at Bank of Hawaii.

> Women's Fund of Hawaii has appointed Abigail Nickell as executive director and Chenoa Farnsworth has been named the chair of its board of directors. “As the new Executive Director and Board Chair of the Women's Fund of Hawai'i, we are thrilled to join an organization supported by such strength and compassion. With so many determined, tenacious women involved, we could not have found a more robust organization to serve. We believe that when women thrive, communities prosper. We are passionate about our mission to support innovative, grassroots programs that empower women and girls in Hawaii,” the new leaders said in a statement.

> YMCA of Honolulu has named Jennifer Townsend executive director of the Leeward YMCA. She will be responsible for overseeing special events and fundraising activities, managing day-to-day operations and overseeing a staff of 105 at the 45,000-square-foot facility. Townsend has worked in various management positions at YMCA for more than 12 years. The YMCA also appointed Kerri Van Duyne to vice president of development. She has 20 years of experience in development, posts at the University of Hawaii Foundation, University of San Diego and California Western School of Law.

> AlohaCare has appointed Dr. Sharon Tisza its new medical director. She is a board-certified physician, specializing in the areas of child, adolescent, adult and forensic psychiatry. Tisza has been a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry for the University of Hawaii Department of Psychiatry as well as an author of several published articles focusing on psychiatry and pediatrics. She is also known as a medical expert in court cases involving civil and criminal forensic psychiatry.

> Kevin Watkins, Mother’s Against Drunk Driving field director, has been named the organization’s interim executive director while a search is under way for a new executive director to replace Jennifer Dotson, who had led MADD Hawaii for two years.

> Kauai Independent Food Bank's Executive Director Judy Lenthall has stepped down from her post after 16 years on the job amid an investigation into the organization's operations. The food bank's board issued a statement saying it "has determined that it is time for new leadership at the organization."

> Hawaii Employers Council has announced Cathy Keaulani as its research manager. She has 25 years of human resources and compensation experience and was previously a senior human resources information system and compensation manager with DFS Group, where she was responsible for global compensation programs and policies. In addition, the following executives have been elected to the Hawaii Employers Council Board of Governors to serve three-year terms: Dean Kapoi, Barry Marr, Ruthann Quitiquit and Toby Taniguchi are newly elected board members. Re-elected board members are Dennis Brown, Sai Chantavy, Melvin Chiba, Gary Ettinger, John Monahan, Tammy Nakamatsu and Michael White.

> Kaiser Permanente Hawaii has named Chris Hause vice president of marketing, sales and business development. She has extensive health care sales and marketing experience, including as senior vice president of sales, sales operations and product innovation at Magellan Health Services in Avon, Conn. Kaiser also hired Dr. Susan "Sam" Cook, certified nurse midwife of obstetrics/gynecology who will practice at Moanalua Medical Center on Oahu and Wailuku Clinic on Maui; Dr. Mariko Johnson of endocrinology at Honolulu Clinic; and Dr. Kellie Williams of pediatrics at Maui Lani Clinic.

> St. Andrew's Priory School's board of trustees has announced Judy B. Pietsch has been named chairwoman of the board. She has consulted with counseling professionals, students and educational institutions nationally and internationally for 25 years. In addition, William Reeves has joined the board. He co-founded the Learning Coalition and Unbound Philanthropy, which focuses on public education and international immigration in Hawaii, with his wife, Deborah Berger. Reeves previously ran BlueCrest Capital Management, which he founded in 2000.

> Honolulu Zoological Society has announced the following new officers and members for its board of directors: Jason Ito, president; Rod Nystul, vice president; Simone Perez, vice president; Tracy Tanaka, secretary; Cory Kubota, treasurer; and Tom Ocasek, past president. Directors include: Sandy Brigode, Sandra Gibson, Helen Gibson-Ahn, Kim Hehir, Reid Hinaga, Malia McManus, Ryan Mukai, Rick Ornellas and Barry Wallace.

> Nature Conservancy of Hawaii has announced that Kenton Eldridge has been elected chairman of the board of trustees. Eldridge has 40 years of business experience.