By local and wire sources
Isbister promoted to director of sales
Big Island Visitors Bureau has promoted sales manager Deanna Isbister to director of sales, effective immediately.
Isbister is based in the organization’s Waikoloa office and will continue to travel frequently, promoting the unique aspects of Hawaii Island. In her new role, she will direct the leisure sales activities for the U.S. mainland and Canada and assist with conventions, meetings and incentive opportunities, as well as nurture the European and Asian markets.
Isbister previously served as ResortQuest Hawaii’s regional sales manager for eight years on the mainland and has also worked as group sales manager for Apple Vacations, as well as for Hyatt Hotels.
HPM Building Supply welcomes Tom Rietow
Tom Rietow has joined HPM Building Supply as sales manager for lumber and building materials for the Oahu, Maui and Kauai markets.
Rietow’s new position at HPM is a result of the Big Island-based building supply company’s recent expansion into the neighbor island market. The company, which has had a successful custom metal roofing sales office and operations in Honolulu for more than 10 years, now adds lumber and building supplies to the mix.
HPM was founded as Hawaii Planing Mill in 1921 in order to custom mill lumber from the U.S. Northwest and provide other building supplies to contractors and builders. Now 100 percent employee owned, HPM Building Supply is the eighth largest private employer on the Big Island. Its manufacturing operations include HPM Truss, HPM Custom Metal Roofing, HPM Doors and HPM Wood Protection Co.
Okuna promoted to secretary at airport
Julie Okuna has been promoted to the position of secretary II at Kona International Airport. She will report to Chauncey Wong Yuen, the state’s Airports Division Hawaii District manager.
Her previous assignment was a clerk at Kona International Airport, where she raised the bar on service helping customers with permits and payments.
Wong Yuen said Okuna did so with “great efficiency and firmness but with an infectious smile, enthusiasm and an occasional giggle.”
Okuna came to the state’s Airports Division in 2004. Previously she worked in the state’s Boating and Ocean Recreation Division, as well as at various clerical positions in the community. She is a graduate of Honokaa High School and completed a clerical course at the University of Hawaii at West Hawaii.
Her husband, Paul, works with the state Department of Health, Safe Water Drinking Branch in West Hawaii.
Four Seasons helps out American Cancer Society
The Four Seasons Resort Hualalai once again hosted the 10th annual West Hawaii Cancer Symposium and the Run for Hope fundraising event Sept. 7 and 8.
In the past three years, the Run for Hope, which is several fundraising events, has raised more than $200,000 for the American Cancer Society West Hawaii office. Many of those dollars were raised by the resort’s staff through departmental fundraisers throughout the year.
The average $70,000 raised each year is used in helping West Hawaii cancer patients travel to Oahu for tests and treatments not available in Kona.
SAN FRANCISCO
eBay chief officer confirms she’s leaving
Meg Whitman will soon step down as chief executive of eBay Inc., the online auction company that went from wobbly startup to multibillion-dollar household name in her 10-year tenure.
Whitman, 51, had been reported to be plotting the move and handing the job to John Donahoe, 47, who has been heading eBay’s core auction and e-commerce businesses. She confirmed her March 31 departure as eBay reported fourth-quarter earnings Wednesday.
Whitman will remain on eBay’s board of directors.
EBay shares rose $1.81, 6.7 percent, to close at $28.94 in advance of the earnings report and Whitman’s announcement. In extended trading, the stock initially hit $29.80, up another 3 percent.
Word of Whitman’s departure came as eBay reported that a strong holiday season helped fourth-quarter profit rise 53 percent and beat Wall Street’s expectations.
The San Jose-based company said that in the last three months of 2007, it earned $530.9 million, or 39 cents per share. In the same period a year earlier, eBay earned $346.5 million, 25 cents per share.
Revenue in the quarter rose 27 percent to $2.18 billion.
SAN ANTONIO
AT&T gives free Wi-Fi to more broadband users
AT&T Inc. said Wednesday it will make its 10,000 Wi-Fi hotspots free to nearly all of its broadband Internet customers starting early next week.
Only subscribers to AT&T’s premium broadband services previously had free access to its hotspots, leaving out the majority of high-speed users, who have the 1.5-Mbps service.
Now, more than 10 million broadband customers, most of AT&T’s high-speed Internet subscribers, will be able to use the hotspots free of charge.
“It’s a differentiator for us when people are choosing between competitors,” said AT&T spokesman Fletcher Cook.
Most Wi-Fi hotspots — in restaurants, airports and other public places — charge daily or monthly fees for access.
AT&T wireless customers who use Apple Inc.’s iPhone currently must get a Wi-Fi package to use their iPhone at AT&T hotspots, but they now can use their iPhones at hotspots for free if they are AT&T broadband Internet subscribers.
By local and wire sources