Hawaii nonprofit people in the news

> Ruthann Quitiquit, president and CEO of Parents and Children Together, is the Pacific Business News 2011 Businesswoman of the Year in the nonprofit category. Quitiquit has led the community-based family services organization through various funding cuts and constant searches for new funding to keep its programs operating. PACT has an annual budget of approximately $21 million, administering 16 programs to assist needy families in areas including early childhood education and domestic violence prevention and treatment. Businesswomen of the Year nonprofit finalists were:  Sr. Agnelle Ching, CEO, St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii; Sherrilee Dodson, executive director, Habitat for Humanity Maui; Lyn McNeff, CEO, Maui Economic Opportunity; Kathryn Raethel, vice president for Patient Care, Castle Medical Center; Jane Sawyer, district director, U.S. Small Business Administration; Mary Scott Lau, executive director and founder, Women in Need; and Stella Wong, vice president of Programs, Catholic Charities of Hawaii. The winner was announced on Thursday, April 28, at a sold-out Women Who Mean Business event at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, Monarch Room in Waikiki. Shelley Wilson, founder, president and CEO of Wilson Homecare, was named the 2011 Businesswoman of the Year in the for-profit category.

> Mental Health America of Hawaii has named its 2011 Outstanding Community Mental Health Leaders: Alfred M. Arensdorf, M.D., child and adolescent psychiatrist, mentor, leader and advocate for improving services for children and youth with emotional and behavioral problems on Maui and statewide; Hon. Michael Broderick, president and CEO of YMCA of Honolulu and former Family Court judge, a tireless advocate for individuals and families with mental health challenges; Linda Appel, Continuity of Care service director, Adult Mental Health Division, State Department of Health, a long-time leader in improving services to adults with mental illness; Sunny Algoso, peer educator for the State Department of Health, facilitator of the HOPE Impact support group, and host of monthly `Olelo television program, “Hope in Recovery;” Bailey Young, youth specialist at Hawaii Youth Helping Youth at Hawaii Families as Allies, with a special focus on girls who have experienced trauma; Troy Ogasawara, president of Geotech Solutions, who has hired more than 30 Clubhouse members, people with severe and persistent mental illness. They will be honored at a luncheon from 11:30 A.M. to 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 11, at the Ala Moana Hotel, 410 Atkinson Drive, Honolulu. Click here for more information and to register to attend.

> Don Horner, CEO of First Hawaiian Bank, was recently profiled in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser after he was named to chair the new, appointed Board of Education. The article made note of the fact that Horner serves as board member, executive committee member or adviser to 24 organizations, including many nonprofits: State Board of Education, chairman; Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation; Crown Prince Akihito Scholarship Foundation; Filipino Community Center; Foundation for the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies; Hawaii Asia Pacific Association; Hawaii Bankers Association; Hawaii Business Roundtable; National Financial Service Roundtable; Hawaii Pastors Roundtable; Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau, chairman; Honolulu Fire & Police Dept.’s 200 Club; Honolulu Festival Foundation; Iolani School Board of Governors; Mid-Pac Institute School board emeritus; Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund National Board; Consortium Advisory Council; State of Hawaii Department of Education Advisory Council; The Deputies; The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii; Salvation Army’s Kroc Community Center Task Force, chairman; Teach for America-Hawaii; University of Hawaii College of Business Advisory Council; and UH School of Nursing Advisory Council. Said Horner: “I don’t play golf.”

> Majken Mechling has been chosen to head Easter Seals Hawaii as president and CEO beginning May 1, replacing John Howell, Easter Seals Hawaii’s chief executive for the past 18 years, who will remain with the organization to oversee the development of $13 million in capital projects on four islands. Howell said he plans to retire in the summer of 2012 after the capital projects are completed. Mechling was executive director of the Honolulu Symphony Society, which underwent Chapter 7 liquidation in December 2010. Before joining the Symphony Society, Mechling held executive director positions at the American Diabetes Association Hawaii from 2004 to 2009 and the Hawaii chapter of Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International from 1998 to 2004.

> Honolulu Theatre for Youth has named Becky Dunning managing director, effective May 16. Dunning will lead the nonprofit theater company alongside artistic director Eric Johnson and drama education director Daniel A. Kelin II, focusing on the business aspect of running the theater, including administration, development and community relations. Dunning was formerly director of operations and advancement for Blue Planet Foundation. Her experience in the local nonprofit and theater arts field includes positions as vice president of development at PBS Hawaii, executive director of the Hawaii Youth Symphony and administrative director at Manoa Valley Theatre. She is taking over from Louise King Lanzilotti, who resigned in late 2010.

> Honolulu Academy of Arts has appointed Stephan Jost as director, beginning on May 2. He was previously director of Vermont’s Shelburne Museum. The academy also named Eric Mascia to be associate director of development for membership and corporate relations. He has extensive marketing and business experience as co-founder and owner of Muumuu Heaven. The academy and The Contemporary Museum have announced they will merge, effective July 1.

> Coralie Matayoshi, CEO of the American Red Cross, Hawaii Chapter, has been appointed by Governor Neil Abercrombie to serve on the University of Hawaii Board of Regents. Her appointment awaits consent by the State Senate.

> PBS Hawaii has announced Jared Kuroiwa has been named its new vice president of digital networking. Kuroiwa has a wide range of technology skills and work experience as a broadcast engineer, in community building and as a specialist in information technology management. Roberta Wong Murray becomes vice president of programming and communications. Her experience includes being reporter and anchor for San Francisco’s KRON, co-owner of a public relations business, senior vice president of Bank of the West and Hawaii’s media specialist for the U.S. Census in 2010.

> Big Brothers Big Sisters of Honolulu has announced that Tyler Kurashige has been promoted to school-based program coordinator from school-based case manager and Jeffrey Mullis has been promoted to community-based program coordinator from case manager.

> Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement has enlarged its governing board from 18 to 21 seats and filled two vacant seats. Namaka Rawlins of Aha Punana Leo and Dickie Nelson of the Association of Hawaiians for Homestead Lands have joined the board. CNHA will fill the three additional seats at its July leadership meeting.  Interested CNHA member organizations may submit a letter of interest to serve on the board to Robin Puanani Danner, CNHA President and CEO.

> YWCA of Oahu has announced the following five women as honorees at the 34th annual LeaderLuncheon in June 2011: Vicky Cayetano, president and chief executive officer of United Laundry Services; Colleen Minami, vice president of Aloha Medical Mission; Suzanne Chun Oakland, state senator; Catherine Payne, a retired principal of Farrington High School; and Linda Rosario, owner and operator of Grelyn of Hawaii, the state’s largest McDonald’s franchise company.

> Queen’s Medical Center has honored the following as the 2011 Ke Kauka Po‘o­kela Outstanding Physicians of the Year: David Fergusson, a cardiologist at the Queen’s Medical Center; and Peter Halford, chief of staff of the Queen’s Medical Center.