West Oahu Roundup
Waiau Elementary School vice principal Stacey Makanoe Kawasaki was honored recently as the winner of the National Association of Elementary School Principals’ (NAESP) Outstanding Assistant Principal Award. This is the first year that NAESP has offered the award, making Kawasaki Hawaii’s first-ever recipient.
Kawasaki was recognized for her accomplishments last month at an awards luncheon at Hale Koa Hotel, hosted by the Hawaii Elementary and Middle School Administrators Association.
According to Waiau principal Troy Takazono, Kawasaki’s “knowledge of elementary curriculum, facilitative leadership skills, and strong moral and ethical values” have been instrumental to the school’s progress. He also credits her for having a positive influence on the rest of the staff and playing an integral role in reinventing instructional practices.
Kawasaki has a bachelor’s degree in Hawaiian Studies and a master of education degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She has been at Waiau Elementary since 1996, and has been the school’s vice principal for the last five years.
Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties (CBP) recently an-nounced that Anne I.W. Keamo of Aiea has joined the firm’s Leeward office. Kea-mo earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Chaminade Uni-versity. Prior to joining CBP in December 2011, Keamo served as president of Properties Unlimited for the past 27 years. She has nearly four decades of residential Realtor experience and served as president of the Honolulu Board of Realtors in 2003. She is the recipient of numerous industry awards, including the CRB Pinnacle Award in 2001, CRS of the Year in 2004 and Aloha Aina Realtor’s Choice Award in 2006.
Benjamin C.C. Kam of Aiea also joined Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties’ Leeward office recently. Prior to joining CBP in December 2011, Kam served as a Realtor-associate at Properties Unlimited. He has more than 38 years of real estate experience.
Susan Utsugi of Aiea has been appointed to the newly established position of senior vice president and business banking department manager at Central Pacific Bank. Utsugi has been with Central Pacific Bank since 2000 and has served as business banking officer, senior commercial banking officer, and most recently, West Oahu region manager.
Prior to joining the bank, Utsugi worked as a business banker and branch manager for Bank of Hawaii. In her new position, Utsugi will lead Central Pacific Bank’s statewide Banking Business unit.
Utsugi has a bachelor of business administration degree in finance from Seattle University and is a graduate of Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington. She currently serves on the boards of Hale Kipa, Retail Merchants Hawaii, and Hawaii Baptist Academy Alumni Association.
Army National Guard Pfc. Matt S. Watanabe has graduated from One Station Unit Training (OSUT) at Fort Leonard Wood, Waynesville, Mo., which included basic military training and advanced individual training.
Watanabe is the son of Stacy K. Watanabe of Aiea and is a 2009 graduate of Aiea High School.
Army National Guard Pvt. Luxury Joyce I. Purganan has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C.
Purganan is the daughter of Liberty Purganan of Waipahu and is a 2011 graduate of Waipahu High School.
Air Force Airman Kenneth L. Ramones graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas.
Ramones is the son of Jean and Oscar Ramones of Waipahu and is a 2010 graduate of Waipahu High School.
Air National Guard Airman Skyler C. Ross graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. Ross is the son of Carswell Ross Jr. of Puana Street of Waipahu.
He graduated from Pearl City High School in 2002 and also has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
Melvin Baum of Makakilo has been promoted to Oahu operations manager at Atlantis Adventures. Baum joined Atlantis in 2006 and has been steadily promoted to positions of increased responsibility since then, most recently holding the title of senior pilot. In that role, one of his duties was to pilot the Atlantis submarines to depths of more than 100 feet and educate customers about the marine life activity taking place all around them.
In his new position, Baum will direct the dayto-day activities of the Atlantis Submarines’ tour experience off of Waikiki Beach.
