Waha Nui – 1/7/15

Hawaii Kai Chamber of Commerce has selected its new president. She’s Gindi French, a mechanical engineer with an aerospace background and her own company, Rocket Science Tutor-ing. Gindi also is a Hawaii Kai mom with three keiki. Janayhe Self, a mortgage banker, steps down from the post after four years, but will continue as vice president …

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Janayhe Self

Former Hawaii Kai Library manager Stacie Kanno is interim state librarian pending the BOE’s selection to replace Richard Burns, who retired … Caffeine report: McDonald’s Restaurants of Hawaii gave Hawaii Kai’s Jim Lenhart its National Supply Leadership Council Award. As vice president of sales and service for Hawaii Coffee Co., Jim helped Hawaii take third place nationally for most coffee given away during a two-week promotion in September. In fact, his company supplied 285,000 pounds of coffee to the burger chain last year alone and has been its caffeine partner since the first outlet opened in 1968 in Aina Haina …

Kaiser graduate Robin Kobayashi has been promoted to associate general counsel at Hawaiian Airlines, working on labor and employment matters. And Kahala’s Mark Arimoto oversees much of the airline’s legal affairs, following his promotion to deputy general counsel … Palolo Chinese Home declares itself lucky to have its new food service manager Edward Frady. The Palolo Valley man’s motto is “making people happy through food.” Ed previously was executive chef at Makaha Resort and Waikiki Resort Hotel …

Update: Smart Business Hawaii’s board has voted to close the agency instead of carrying on after Sam Slom‘s retirement … Congratulations to Kaiser High teacher Shareen Murayama, who has earned National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification, joining 45 other Hawaii public schoolteachers and 13 private schoolteachers in the achievement this year. It’s a rigorous, yearlong process designed to improve learning … Kalani junior Jacob Ly scored a perfect 36 on his ACT college-entrance exam (the only public school teen to do so). He also played two roles in Ballet Hawaii’s The Nutcracker, plays viola, is class VP, does math league, mock trial, etc. & & & cchang@midweek.com