Hawaii nonprofit people in the news

HCF's Kelvin Taketa named to nonprofit sector top 50 list

> Kelvin H. Taketa, president and CEO of the Hawaii Community Foundation, has been named to the Non Profit Times' 2010 Top 50 Power & Influence list. In naming him to the list of nonprofit movers and shakers, the magazine said: "Taketa has to worry about the U.S. and Japanese economies, both in trying times. He has developed important partnerships with business and government. He is courted by the business community and sits on several boards, pushing impact programs with a mix of risk, strategic planning and leadership. He is the de facto leader in the Pacific region."

> Christina Cox, president of the nonprofit KCAA Preschool, was recently interviewed by Hawaii Business magazine for one of its “Talk Story” features: “When Christina Cox became president of KCAA Preschools 10 years ago, she worked hard to add business leaders to the board. ‘The business community has provided us with the innovation, opportunities and connections to take us to the next level,’ Cox says. ‘We’re proof of the good that can come out of public-private partnerships and a lot of passion.’” Click here to read the entire interview.

> Lorin Tarr Gill, a naturalist, founder of the Hawaii Chapter of the Sierra Club in the 1960s and considered by many as the father of environmental education in Hawaii, died of cancer on Oct. 1 at his home in Pohai Nani in Kaneohe. He was 82. As director of environmental education at the Moanalua Gardens Foundation in the '80s and '90s, Gill helped create the curricula and outreach programs to teach geology, natural history and botany to schoolchildren. As a social worker and director of the Palama Settlement in the 1950s and 1960s, Gill introduced thousands of youngsters to camping and hiking. Although he had no children of his own, Gill nurtured many Hawaii youth who showed an interested in the environment, some of whom, like Gon, went into the environmental field. Gill began the local Sierra Club's High School Hikers Program and the Hawaii Service Trip Program, which was initially for college students.

> Kona Community Hospital has appointed Kathryn Harter as interim chief executive officer, effective Nov. 1. Harter, who is currently the hospital's chief nurse executive, has 33 years of professional experience, including 19 years in administration. She most recently served as chief nursing officer at Wythe County Community Hospital in Virginia, a 110-bed for-profit facility. Kona Community Hospital, founded in 1914, is a 94-bed, full-service hospital.

> Steve Hamile, principal owner of Pablo’s Cantina, which opened on Oct. 22 in the former Compadres Mexican Bar & Grill space in Honolulu’s Ward Centre, donated proceeds of multiple nights to help multiple organizations: Make-a-Wish Foundation, Catholic Charities Hawaii and Hawaii Polo Club will be the beneficiaries. “My wife and I believe strongly” in community engagement, Hamile told the Star-Advertiser. “God's been very good to us, and we have a credo of giving back.” For the first couple of weeks, Pablo’s was open to the nonprofits’ invited guests as well as the public with buffet-style service of signature dishes. Each organization received 50 percent of one night's receipts and 10 percent of the proceeds from several nights. After the first fundraisers, Pablo's will continue to set aside 10 cents from each customer check to donate to a foundation that supports women's, children's and animal causes.

> YWCA USA has named Gloria Lau as its interim CEO. Lau has held leadership roles with Charles Schwab and Citigroup, and was interim CEO for YWCA Hawaii Island. She is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and the Harvard Business School.

> The North Hawaii Community Hospital board of directors has selected Ken Wood as president and chief executive officer of the hospital. He has held many executive positions, including executive vice president of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and chief operating officer and chief marketing officer for Blue Shield of California.

> Lincoln Jacobe has been appointed president of the Miss Hawaii/Miss America Organization. He is the founder and chief executive officer of Hawaii Pacific Entertainment, which specializes in music, sports and entertainment management as well as television and video production, promotions, events, communications and emerging new media.

> Jack Johnson, Hawaii recording artist, has just completed a U.S. tour in support of his new album To the Sea, recorded in a solar-powered studio, and is preparing to head out for dates in New Zealand and Australia. At all his shows, Johnson has been making an attempt to further the idea of ‘green’ touring by using bio-diesel tour buses, cutting down significantly on the trash generated by band and crew and setting up free water stations for concertgoers with reusable bottles. He’s donating 100 percent of his own tour proceeds to nonprofit environmental groups.

> Chaminade University board of regents has welcomed its new chancellor, the Rev. Martin Solma, to the board. Board officers for this year include Gary E. Liebl, chair emeritus; Daniel L. Colin, first vice chair; Cori Ching Weston, second vice chair; and Jean Rolles, secretary. Newly appointed board members are David A. Bramlett, Daniel J. Curran, the Rev. Paul Marshall, the Rev. John A. McGrath and Dale Fryxell. In January Robert Kihune will also become a new regent.

> Ann Katekaru, senior consultant of Human Resources Management Services for Inkinen and Associates, has been elected to the Oceanic Institute board of trustees. Oceanic Institute is an affiliate of Hawaii Pacific University.

> Hale Kipa has announced new officers for 2010-2011: Luke W.T. Yeh, chairman; Heidi K. Wild, vice chairwoman; Greg J. Sitar, treasurer; and Lianne Iwanaga-Ohashi, secretary.

> Christine Camp has been named the 2011 chairwoman of YWCA's 34th LeaderLuncheon. She is the founder, president and chief executive officer of Avalon Group, a Hawaii-based real estate development and consulting firm.

> The Queen's Medical Center has named Karen Seth as director, Neuroscience Institute and ancillary services. She was previously manager of the Neuroscience Institute for six years and has also served as director of programs for the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association of Hawaii.

> Gerald A. Sumida, a partner at Carlsmith Ball LLP and chairman of the firm's business, corporate and finance sections, was elected to secretary-general of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association, an international association of business and commercial lawyers.

> Bishop Museum has named Donna Howard vice president of development effective Nov. 5. Her experience includes work as director of development at the National Tropical Botanical Gardens on Kauai, and president and chief executive officer of Kapiolani Health Foundation.

> PBS Hawaii has hired Marche Kawai as director of business support. She will work with the business community that provides underwriting funds for PBS' broadband content and broadcast programming as well as community outreach and education initiatives.

> Kaiser Permanente Hawaii has appointed Susan Murray to vice president of service, quality and safety for the Hawaii region. She will be responsible for developing programs and supporting performance in clinical quality, service and patient and employee safety. Kaiser also hired Sharon Thomson to be vice president of brand management, communications and public relations, Nate Dyke to be director of strategic communications, and Laura M. Lott to be public relations consultant. She previously managed community and public relations for Hawaii Medical Service Association.

> Faces of Nursing awards presented by the UH School of Nursing have been given to Brenda Ho, Hospice of Hilo and Kokua Mau board member; Mimi Harris, the Queen's Medical Center; Agnes Pigao Cadiz, Hospice Hawaii; and Fely Pula, Hale Nani.

> YWCA of Oahu has selected 10 women as outstanding Hawaii female leaders; they were honored in June: Erlinda M. Cachola, M.D., Cachola Medical Clinic; Suzanne D. Case, executive director of Nature Conservancy of Hawaii; Anna Elento-Sneed, Alston Hunt Floyd & Ing; Signe A. Godfrey, president of Olsten Staffing Services; and Marsha Graham, chief of medical management at Tripler Army Medical Center; Janice Kalanihuia, president of Molokai General Hospital; Melody K. MacKenzie, assistant professor of law at the University of Hawaii's William S. Richardson School of Law; Diane J. Plotts, vice chairwoman of the board of trustees for Kamehameha Schools; Virginia M. Pressler, M.D., executive vice president of Hawaii Pacific Health; and Indru Watumull, community volunteer.

> The North Hawaii Drug-Free Coalition, a project of Five Mountains Hawaii, recently appointed Deanna Kackley as Program Coordinator, a position previously shared by Jan Sears and Lori Eldridge, who served NHDFC since 2007. Kackley, originally from Kauai, has lived on Hawaii Island for more than 20 years. She spent the last five years developing the “About Face!” program for the Hawaii National Guard Education and Health Programs.