James Famalette, who has headed Liberty House since 1993, will become the president of Gottschalks Inc., a regional department store chain based in Fresno, Calif.
Liberty House, owned by Northbrook Corp., said company vice president and chief operating officer John Monahan has been named interim president. The moves take effect April 4.
Founded in Hawaii in 1849, Liberty House has 10 department stores and 29 resort and specialty shops in Hawaii and Guam. It employs more than 3,000 workers.
Famalette, 44, joined Liberty House in 1987 as divisional merchandise manager and was named its president and CEO four years ago succeeding long-time Liberty House executive Donald Onasch.
During his tenure, Famalette helped expand Liberty House's presence through the Asia-Pacific region and other retail markets.
Liberty House plans to open its third store in Guam later this year, after opening its first Guam store in 1994. The company also plans to open a department store in Kailua-Kona this year. The Big Island store will be the company's 11th department store.
Liberty House also is a player in the mail-order business in Japan and recently expanded into the Internet retail scene with Marketplace Hawaii, a Web site developed with partners Bank of Hawaii and Oceanic Cable.
Famalette's exit comes as Hawaii's retail industry is facing increased competition from mainland retailers. Besides the influx of discount and big-box retailers in Hawaii, companies like Nordstrom Inc. and Neiman-Marcus Group Inc. plan to open large department stores at Ala Moana Center in the next three years to compete with the flagship store of the Liberty House chain.
Liberty House, meanwhile, has announced plans for a major expansion of the Ala Moana store.
Famalette's new employer, Gottschalks, operates 35 department stores and 22 specialty apparel stores in California, Washington, Oregon and Nevada. The company's Gottschalks Department Stores offers medium-priced to upscale clothing and footwear, as well as cosmetics, jewelry and home furnishings.
Monahan, 46, has been with Liberty House since 1990 and has been responsible for overseeing all store operations, information systems and the firm's distribution center.
In addition to his Liberty House duties, Famalette is chairman of the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii. "We're sorry to see him leave but he's made an excellent contribution," said Stanley Hong, the chamber's president.
Hong said Famalette's term expires in July and his duties until then will be assumed by attorney Gerald Sumida, the chamber's chairman-elect. Sumida officially will become chairman in July.