Bishop Estate trustees' pay
hits $938,047

Each waived commissions
worth $564,769 during the fiscal year 1994-1995

By Gregg K. Kakesako
Star-Bulletin



Trustees of Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate received a 2.5 percent raise in salary last year, bringing their compensation to $938,047.

That amount could have been higher but, as in years past, each trustee waived $564,769 in commissions during the fiscal year, which ran from July 1, 1994, to June 30, 1995, according to the estate's income tax form.

A Bishop Estate spokeswoman said the trustees traditionally have not accepted commissions based on forced condominium and land sales and tuition paid by students attending Kamehameha Schools.

The trustee's $22,809 salary increase was slight compared to the 11 percent gain in 1994 when their salary went from $823,974 to $915,238 a year.

In 1994, four of the trustees Ñ former House Speaker Henry Peters, Oswald Stender, former Senate President Richard Wong and Lokelani Lindsay Ñ earned $938,047.

Attorney Gerard Jervis, appointed on Nov. 10, 1994, to replace Myron Thompson, made $537,513.

Thompson's prorated salary for his last five months in office was $400,534.

Total revenues of the estate amounted to $257 million, a drop from $307 million in fiscal year 1994.

Operating expenses, however, climbed from $118 million to $137 million.

About $102 million of that figure was directly attributable to running the Kapalama Heights campus.

The estate reported net assets of nearly $1.7 billion, compared with $1.5 billion a year ago.

As in past years, the highest-paid employee of the estate was Michael Chun, who has been president of Kamehameha Schools since June 1988.

He earned $170,563 annually, a slight increase from the $170,310 he earned last year. He also was given car, housing and private club allowances, but no value was placed on the benefits.

Chun's benefit and deferred compensation plans at $37,524 also were paid by the estate.

The other four high-salaried employees were:

  • Counsel Nathan Aipa: Salary $155,421, up from $136,586; other benefits $34,193; car and private club membership.

  • Estate asset manager Anthony Sereno, who died in November 1994: Salary $136,799; other benefits $30,140; car.

  • Estate Administrator Rodney Park: Salary $136,730; other benefits $30,081; car.

  • Principal executive in charge of budget and review Yukio Takemoto: Salary $120,293; other benefits $26,464; car.

    Listed as independent contractors were four law firms and one accounting company.

    The local law firm of Cades Shutte Fleming & Wright, which handles all of the estate's land condemnation cases, earned $3 million.

    Other fees were paid to:

  • Price Waterhouse in Washington, D.C.: $300,390 for tax and legal services.

  • Elias Matz Tiernan & Merrick in Washington, D.C.: $264,134 for legal services.

  • Coopers & Lybrand: $242,650 for accounting services.

  • McCorriston Miho Miller Mukai: $223,079 for legal services.

    The estate also reported a less than 5 percent share of Underwriters Capitol (Merrett Ltd.), a foreign company in the re-insurance business.




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