The Herald Salutes

On Feb. 8, at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i, Leilani Okuda was inducted into the President William McKinley High School’s Hall of Honor. She was honored for serving the softball community locally, nationally and internationally. Her many honors include:

Deidre Tegarden has rejoined Maui’s Nisei Veterans Memorial Center as executive director, a position she held from 2016 until 2018, when newly elected Maui County Mayor Michael Victorino selected her as his chief of staff. Tegarden will replace former state Sen. Jill Tokuda, who will now serve as NVMC’s director for external relations, leading the....

Hui O Laulima recently awarded cultural grants totaling $10,000 to 10 organizations and individuals for projects aimed at promoting and perpetuating Okinawan culture. Hui O Laulima is a nonprofit women’s organization and an active member of the Hawaii United Okinawa Association. The grants were awarded to:

Yumiko Uyeno was recently installed as Sawai Koto Kai Hawaii’s new president. Also installed as officers were vice presidents Keiko Akamine and Mary Yanagihara; secretaries Pamela Honbo and Mariko Dotzler and treasurer Diane Tokumaru. Uyeno, who is a Hiroshima native, began studying koto at the age of 5 under Grandmaster Yoshiko Mihara of the Ikuta....

Gov. David Ige has appointed Brig. Gen. Kenneth S. Hara as the state’s new adjutant general, effective Dec. 6. He will succeed Maj. Gen. Arthur “Joe” Logan, who will retire from the post at the end of the year. Ige thanked Gen. Logan for his leadership and service to Hawai‘i. Ige said Hara has been....

Tyler Tokioka has been appointed chairman of the board for Island Insurance Company, Ltd. Hawai‘i’s largest locally owned property and casualty insurance carrier. He succeeds Colbert Matsumoto, who will continue to serve as a board member. Tokioka, whose grandfather, Masayuki Tokioka, founded the company in 1939, has been with Island Insurance since 1999. He has....

University of Hawai‘i at Mänoa’s clinical professor and Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women and Children pediatric emergency specialist Dr. Alson Inaba received the first Innovation at Heart Award on June 18 from the American Heart Association at the AHA Gold Heart event in Dallas, Texas. Inaba is known for figuring out that the Bee Gees....

Kevin Imanaka has joined the senior management team of the Honolulu Museum of Art (often referred to as HoMA) as its chief communications officer. He will lead the museum’s communications, marketing and branding initiatives. Imanaka previously held senior communications positions at Kamehameha Schools, Hawaiian Airlines, Kaiser Permanente Hawaiʻi and the Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce.

Noboru Hayase and Dr. Robert N. Huey were recently conferred imperial decorations by the Government of Japan. The decorations were presented by Consul General of Japan Koichi Ito at his official residence. Noboru Hayase, who served as president of the Hawaii Meijikai from 2011 to 2018, was presented The Order of the Rising Sun, Silver....

Students in the Kaimukï Middle School Symphonic Winds, directed by Susan Ochi-Onishi, performed to four standing ovations in the 28th annual Music for All National Festival in March in Indianapolis, Ind. The Music for All National Festival showcases America’s finest high school and middle school music ensembles and student musicians. It spotlights outstanding music-making and....