Business Leaders On The Move In Hawaii

August 05, 2009
By Alana Folen

Ann E. Miller has been appointed executive director of The Aloha Medical Mission for 2009. Miller previously worked for nonprofit organizations such as Child & Family Service and Parents And Children Together.

Dr. Regina Pfeiffer, an assistant professor in religious studies and director of the Master of Arts in Pastoral Leadership and Pastoral Theology at Chaminade University, has been selected to attend a weeklong independent research program, Harris Manchester Summer Research Institute, this month in Oxford, England. The program is designed to allow visiting fellows the time and resources to complete an article, book or research paper in their field of study.

Wade Ishii has been hired as project manager for Heide & Cook Ltd. In this position, Ishii will oversee and manage mechanical construction projects. Prior to joining Heide & Cook, he worked as project manager at Starwood Hotels & Resorts.

Pila Sunderland has been named director of advancement for the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii. Sunderland is the former general manager of The Beachhouse at The Moana Surfrider and was part of senior management at Star-wood Hotels & Resorts. In his new position with the Grassroot Institute, he will deal with membership growth and fundraising.

Neill A. Char has been promoted to senior vice president and manager for the Private Banking Division of First Hawaiian Bank. Char most recently served as senior vice president and branch manager for the bank’s University branch. He has more than 15 years of banking experience in Hawaii and first joined the bank in 2001 as a corporate banking officer.

Dr. Laurie F. Leach,an English professor and the director of general education at Hawaii Pacific University, has been selected to attend a week-long independent research program, the Harris Man-chester Summer Research Institute, this month in Oxford England. Leach plans to explore the intertextual relationship between two authors and their fiction.