Brent Butler has been promoted to president of Guahan Insurance Services Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Nanbo Guam Ltd. Butler started with the Nanbo group as its senior manager for finance and administration in 2009 and has advanced through the company’s various departments including underwriting. He holds a bachelor’s in business administration from San Francisco State University. Butler serves as the secretary and treasurer of the Insurance Association of Guam. Prior to Nanbo and Guahan Insurance, Butler worked at Ernst & Young LLP from 2000 to 2009 as an auditor.

Phillip M. Schrage is now senior vice president for group operations and leasing at Goodwind Development Corp. and Grandview Development LLC, which does business as Micronesia Mall. He was previously vice president of leasing and group operations for the company.

Jennifer C. Camacho has been promoted to senior vice president at Cars Plus LLC. Camacho started with the company as a receptionist and has advanced through various departments including administration, sales, finance, parts, marketing and her most recent position as director of business development. She helped launch the dealership’s Thrifty Car Rental Guam and Saipan businesses in 2009, of which she is president and managing member. She holds a bachelor’s in international business from San Diego State University and is also a graduate of the NADA Dealer Academy. Camacho is active with the Guam Chamber of Commerce and the Guam Young Professionals committee.

Bartley A. Jackson has joined the Moylan’s group of companies as its vice president of business development. Jackson is also co-owner of the Hotel Santa Fe Guam and chief operating officer and partner of B&G Pacific. Jackson also serves as chairman of the Guam Hotel & Restaurant Association and as a director on the boards of the Guam Visitors Bureau and the Guam Chamber of Commerce. He has 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry on Guam and Saipan.

Michael Brown has joined Moylan’s group of companies as vice president of Moylan’s Wholesale. Brown was formerly the vice president of Micronesian Brokers Inc. for almost 10 years and has a total of 35 years of experience in the region. He is a graduate of the University of Guam and serves on the board of the Make-A-Wish Foundation for Guam and the NMI. He is also a member of the Micronesia Chefs Association and the Guam Chamber of Commerce’s Wholesale Committee.

Maria D.R. Taitano has rejoined StayWell Insurance as vice president of administration. Taitano held the position of president and acting CEO of StayWell until her retirement in 2008. Prior to returning to StayWell, Taitano was the deputy general manager for administration and finance at the Port Authority of Guam. Taitano graduated with a bachelor’s in business from the University of Guam.

Bank of Guam announced on April 27 the promotion of Maria Cooper-Nurse from assistant vice president and quality assurance officer to vice president and communications manager. Cooper-Nurse joined the bank in 2009 after holding marketing positions with the Hyatt Regency Guam, the Westin Resort Guam and Onward Agana Beach Hotel. She was also co-director of development and alumnae relations director at the Academy of Our Lady of Guam. Cooper-Nurse is a 1991 graduate of the Academy of Our Lady of Guam and holds a bachelor’s in public relations from Gonzaga University. She serves on the board of trustees of Catholic Social Service Guam.

Marilyn Borja has been appointed to vice president of enterprise sales at Docomo Pacific. She was previously director of sales at the company. She has 13 years of experience in the sales industry.

Guam Memorial Hospital announced May 4 the appointment of Theodore Lewis as hospital administrator/CEO. Lewis began his appointment in early June. He has more than 25 years of experience in the hospital industry including senior leadership positions held at Parkview Medical Center in Maine, Riverside Medical Center in Louisiana, Baton Rouge General Medical Center and Fort Washington Hospital. Most recently, Lewis served as CEO of the Guam Seventh Day Adventist Clinic and as a member of the Guam Memorial Hospital Association board of trustees. He received his bachelor’s and master’s in business administration from Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Mich.

Tony Chaco was appointed general manager at Island Business Systems & Supplies as of Jan. 19. Chaco first joined IBSS in 1989 as an account manager and resigned in 2008 to work with MCV Broadband as direct sales supervisor from May 2008 to September 2011. He returned to IBSS in October 2011 as sales manager. Chaco received his General Education Development diploma from Guam Community College in 1988.

Edgar Aguilar has joined Triple J Enterprises Inc. as corporate controller. Aguilar’s public accounting experience has been focused on Guam, Saipan and federal tax laws. Prior to joining Triple J, Aguilar spent 23 years at Deloitte & Touche, including 10 years as tax manager. He also spent several years in various auditing capacities in the Federated States of Micronesia. He has been a Certified Public Accountant on Guam since 2000.

Christine San Nicolas has been promoted to director of financial services at the Outrigger Guam Beach Resort. San Nicolas began her accounting career in 1990 as night auditor at then Outrigger Reef Hotel in Hawaii. She joined the Outrigger Guam when it opened in 1999, where she has been assistant director of financial services.

Christina Garcia has been promoted to public finance manager of the Guam Economic Development Authority. She was previously the business development manager for the agency from 2013 to 2015 and the financial services manager for nine years prior to that. She has spent 17 years working with GEDA overall. She holds a marketing degree from the University of Guam.

Edward Camacho has joined the Guam Economic Development Authority as business development manager. He was most recently vice president of sales and marketing for Graphic Center Inc. and has also held management positions in sales and marketing for Docomo Pacific, Guamcell Communications, Calvo’s Insurance and Eastman Kodak Co. He holds a bachelor’s in management from the University of Guam.

The Guam Chamber of Commerce announced L. Carl Peterson as the 2015 Individual Laureate admitted into the Guam Business Hall of Fame. The Guam Business Hall of Fame induction took place during the Guam Chamber of Commerce’s 91st anniversary celebration on May 2 at the Hyatt Regency Guam.

Triple J Saipan announced May 20 the hiring of Perry A. Inos Jr. as special project analyst effective May 26. Inos has a degree in business administration from the University of Hawaii and was previously the Department of Commerce’s director for the Small Business Development Center.

Jung Suk has been promoted to senior manager for underwriting at Guahan Insurance Services Inc. Suk was previously the chief marketing officer for the company. He has more than 15 years of experience in insurance and underwriting.

Yuka Oguma has been promoted to assistant general manager of Guahan Insurance Services Inc. Prior to her promotion she was an account executive and also handled marketing for commercial insurance lines. She is pursuing the Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriters designation and has a bachelor’s in business administration from the University of Guam.

Lorna Malbog has been promoted to personal lines manager of Guahan Insurance Services Inc. Prior to her promotion she was overseeing the life and health and customer service departments of Nanbo Insurance Underwriters, the holding company for Guahan Insurance Services Inc. She holds a degree in medicine from St. Louis University in Baguio City, Philippines.

Cars Plus LLC announced the hiring of Michelle Quidachay as its finance and insurance manager and of Samuel M. Sotelo Jr. as its general sales manager. Quidachay has 14 years of experience in the transportation industry including positions with Horizon Lines and CTSI Logistics. She spent the past three years as client relations manager at ASC Trust Corp. Sotelo was formerly director of marketing and communications at Atkins Kroll Guam Inc. He brings 14 years of experience in automotive sales and marketing.

Mario Valentino joined Triple J Enterprises as the construction operations manager, Saipan, and senior superintendent. Valentino has 24 years of experience in commercial and residential construction. Most recently Valentino served as a construction consultant, project manager and superintendent in Texas, Colorado and California.

Luis Villagomez has been appointed marketing communications manager at the Hyatt Regency Guam Resort. Villagomez held the same position for the Hyatt’s Saipan hotel for five years. He graduated with an associate’s in hospitality management from Northern Marianas College and holds a bachelor’s in marketing management from Grand Canyon University (Ariz.).

Dusit Thani Guam Resort appointed Eduardo Ortiz Garcia as director of food and beverage. Garcia brings with him approximately 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry.  He has previously been employed with a number of luxury hotels across Asia and the Americas.

Dusit Thani Guam Resort announced June 1 the appointment of Andrea Gerometta as its executive chef to oversee the hotel’s culinary operations. Gerometta comes to the Dusit Thani Guam Resort with 28 years of culinary experience at various international five-star and luxury hotels. Last year Gerometta served as director of culinary operations at the Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi.

Par Petroleum Co., an integrated refiner and marketer of petroleum products, announced May 11 that Walter A. Dods Jr. has been appointed to its board of directors effective June 3. Dods served as chairman of the board of First Hawaiian Bank from January 2005 until his retirement in December 2008. Dods also served on the boards of Koko’oha and Mid Pac Petroleum LLC until April 2015. He serves as chairman of the board of Matson Inc., a position he has held since January 2010, and as a director of Matson since 1989. He also serves on the boards of Bancwest Co., Pacific Guardian Life, First Hawaiian Bank, Hawaiian Telcom, Bank of the West, Pohaku Pa’a and Servco Pacific Inc. Dods holds a bachelor’s in business administration from the University of Hawaii.

Filmmaker Don Muña was presented the 2015 Guam Community College Distinguished Alumni Award on May 15. A panel of GCC staff, administrators and alumni chose Muña for the honor because of his success after having received his General Education Development diploma from the college in 1999. Muña has received international acclaim for “Shiro’s Head,” a film he produced with his brother, Kel Muña. “Shiro’s Head” won the Silver Ace Award at the Las Vegas International Film Festival and Best of Festival and Best Feature Film at the Sandhills Film Festival in Fayetteville, NC. It was also named a Grand Jury Award Finalist at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. The film won accolades at four other international film festivals, including festivals in France and Japan.

Esther Kia’aina, assistant secretary for insular areas for the Department of the Interior, announced May 19 the selection of four students from the U.S. insular areas to participate in the Office of Insular Affairs’ Internship Program. The students selected are Fuatino Leleo Solaita of American Samoa, James Passi Camacho of the Northern Mariana Islands, Cajay S.T. Jacobs of the U.S. Virgin Islands and Martin Joseph Moore III of Palau. The four students were chosen from 400 applicants from across the country for this paid internship program, the first of its kind for the insular areas.

The Northern Mariana Islands were recognized as the Best Island Tour Destination at the World Travel Fair Awards 2015 in May in Shanghai. The Marianas Visitors Authority joined other travel trade organizations, national tourism organizations and the public at the event. The World Travel Fair judges select awardees as “best travel destinations,” “best hotels,” “best airlines,” “best travel routes” and “best tourism service.”

The University of Guam announced on May 1 the winners of the 6th Regional Center for Island Sustainability Conference essay contest. The essay asked students to consider the factors impacting the environment and quality of life needed to pursue Guam Visitors Bureau’s goal of two million tourists by 2020. First place was awarded to senior finance and economics major Huy Tran, who won $500. Second place went to sophomore economics major Aguarin Iriarte, who won $250. Freshman biology major Marcel Jardeleza won first place in the video essay and $1,000, and freshmen Francis Valencia and Cabrini Rivera won second place and $500. The winning essay and video can be viewed at www.uog.edu.

(From left to right: William Leon Guerrero, Antoinette Sanford and Robert A. Underwood)

The University of Guam’s board of regents elected new officers at its regular meeting on April 23. Members include William Leon Guerrero, chairperson; Antoinette Sanford, vice chairperson; Elvin Chiang, treasurer; Marcos W. Fong, regent; Elizabeth Gayle, regent; Jillette Leon Guerrero, regent; Mariflor Herrero, regent; Christopher K. Felix, regent; Hage-Ae Redy Paul, student regent; and Robert A. Underwood, executive secretary.

Correction
William H. Hagen is the past president of the Rotary Club of Guam. Other information was printed in the May-June issue of Guam Business.

Guam Women’s Club announced June 4 the installation of its 2015–2016 board members. (Standing, from left) Caroline H. Sablan, immediate past president; Mary Castro, recording secretary; Cindy Brewer, treasurer; Nancy Weare, vice president; Barbara McCarron, member at large; Renee Veksler, corresponding secretary; Susan Biolchino, member at large; and Atty. Fred Horecky, 2015 Mardi Gras King Rex; and (seated, from left) Mae Cotton, past president and lifetime member; Odessa Palacios, president; First Lady Christine M.S. Calvo, honorary member; and Rosemarie Cruz, past president and lifetime member.

Congressman Gregorio “Kilili” C. Sablan presented Norman T. Tenorio with a Congressional Commendation on May 5 for his achievement in being named the 2014 Guam Business Magazine Executive of the Year on Jan. 17. Tenorio is managing director of Joeten Enterprises Inc., president and CEO of Pacifica Insurance Underwriters Inc., president of Advance Carrier, president of Saipan Stevedore, secretary and treasurer of Saipan Shipping Co., and president of Tropical Instant Press Inc.