Name: Michael Nahoopii Job: Executive director of the Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission Experience: Five years at KIRC QUALIFICATIONS: In many ways, Nahoopii has prepared for this job his entire life. He first visited Kahoolawe at age 15 during a trip…
Name: Summer Shiige Job: Personal Stylist/Shopper Years of Experience: One year STARTING OUT: Shiige had always wanted to own her own business and, last year, after working in the retail industry for more than a decade, she started Summer Style,…
Name: Ben Isabel Job: Tugboat captain for Young Brothers, the main shipper of cargo around the Hawaiian Islands. Experience: Started with YB in 1994. START: Isabel served as an E-5 second-class boatswain mate in the U.S. Navy. But, to work for Young Brothers,…
Name: Paulette Kahalepuna Job: Feather artist and owner of Na Lima Mili Hulu Noeau, a store where Hawaiian feather work is taught, and supplies and finished pieces are sold. Experience: 21 years. START: In 1991, Kahalepuna helped her feather-expert mother Mary Lou and father…
Name: Rob Hemsher Job: Scuba diving instructor and owner of Ocean Eco Tours Years of Experience: 17 years as a certified dive instructor Background: Hemsher made his first pool dive when he was 6 while growing up in Boynton…
Name: Marc Kassis, Ph.D. Job: Support Astronomer for W.M. Keck Observatory Years of Experience: 9 Starting out: In high school, Kassis thought physics was “the coolest stuff ever” and went on to earn a Ph.D. in astronomy from Boston University.…
Name: Doug Jago Job: Visual presentation manager, Neiman Marcus at Ala Moana Center Years of Experience: 40 Starting out: After graduating from the University of Tampa in Florida, Jago worked in the visual merchandising department at Bloomingdale’s in Woodbridge, N.J.,…
Name: John David Nelson Job: Entomologist Years of experience: 14 STARTING OUT: Growing up on an Eastern Tennessee farm, Nelson says, insects were part of his daily life. But it wasn’t until he took an entomology class in college, then…
Name: Windy Keala McElroy Job: Archaeologist Years of experience: More than 10 STARTING OUT: When Windy Keala McElroy enrolled at Windward Community College, she quickly discovered a passion for anthropology, and went on to get bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate…
Name: Steve VanDermyden Job: Artisan bread baker and new owner of Coffees N Epicurea, a bakery and coffee shop in Captain Cook on Hawaii Island. Experience: Two years. STARTING OUT: Two years ago, VanDermyden was thinking about opening a…
Name: Nelson Nakagawa Current Position: Assistant VP, Card Services Division Started: Feb. 19, 1962 Total Jobs at FHB: 12 Why did you join? “It was a stable company, something I thought would provide me with a springboard to better things.” First day: “I was…
Misconceptions: With TV shows like “The Millionnaire Matchmaker” creating false impressions, it’s easy to misunderstand what professional matchmakers do. At Matchmaking Introductions Hawaii, owner and president Reiko Keifert says singles don’t come to her because they can’t find partners on…
Name: Johnny Fortuno Job: Performer and Elvis impersonator Experience: 13 years as Elvis; winner of the Las Vegas Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest in 2011. Current Gig: Legends in Concert show at the Royal Hawaiian Theatre, Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center,…
Name: Steve Looney Job: Tattoo artist; owner, Pacific Soul Tattoo Experience: 12 years professionally Start: “I took an interest in tattooing as a 15-year-old growing up in Anaheim, California,” Looney says. He studied graphic design in college but couldn’t find…
Name: John Hirokawa Job: Master illusionist, Magic of Polynesia Experience: 39 years as a performing magician Starting out: When he was about 8, Hirokawa saw the 1953 movie, “Houdini,” starring Tony Curtis, and was entranced. “My mom borrowed magic books…
NAME: Sharon Mujtabaa JOB: President, Hawaii Court Reporters and Captioners Association; owner, The Caption Co. EXPERIENCE: 15 years in captioning, nine years as a court reporter STARTING OUT: When Mujtabaa went to court-reporting school in Chicago, she loved it all,…
Michael Kennebeck was recruited to play Santa Claus by an Ala Moana Center staffer who recognized that his personality and bushy beard made him a natural for the part. That was 18 years ago and Kennebeck has been playing the…
Name: Shoko Watanabe, VMD Job: Veterinarian, trained in oncology, at the VCA Family Animal Hospital in Pearl City. Years on the job: 3 Toughest part: It’s hard telling pet owners that their companions have cancer and that chemotherapy could cost…
Name: Angela Tillson Job: Film-location scout/manager and casting director on Kauai Years on the job: 22 Experience: Tillson’s worked with big-name movie directors, including Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, Spike Lee, Alexander Payne and Rob Reiner, and hung out with actors…
Name: Joseph Everitt Teipel, aka Surfer Joe the Auctioneer Job: Owner, AuctionAction LLC Experience: 27 years Start: Teipel got his first taste of auctioneering in 1984: Jewelry and watch broker Hingkie Han hired him to conduct her popular fashion auctions…
Name: Gregg Levine, DVM Job: Marine-mammal veterinarian at Dolphin Quest facilities on Oahu and the Big Island, contract veterinarian for the National Marine Fisheries, and small-animal veterinarian and acupuncturist. Years of experience: 12 Toughest part: No matter what kind of…
Name: James Waldron Lindblad Job: Certified bail agent and president of the Professional Bail Agents Association of Hawaii, director of the Hawaii State Sheriff Association and occasional bounty hunter Years of experience: 34 Toughest part: Lindblad has bailed out more…