HTA selects Humphreys as interim chief executive

The Hawaii Tourism Authority today appointed Richard L. Humphreys interim chief executive officer and executive director. He will manage the HTA's operations until a permanent replacement can be found for Robert J. Fishman, who was called up for active duty at the Pentagon.

Humphreys, 57, agreed to serve for $1 a year while the HTA conducts a three- to six-month search for a permanent CEO. He has had a lot of management experience, particularly in Hawaii's leading financial companies.

Humphreys has been executive vice president at Amfac Financial, First Federal Savings & Loan (six years) and Bank of Hawaii (eight years). Humphreys then served as Hawaii chairman of the Bank of America for nearly five years, 1993-98, and left when the bank sold its Hawaii business.

Since then Humphreys has helped develop a Big Island residential complex and has worked with Altres Financial, helping to arrange financing for businesses.

"With Rick at the helm, the authority can focus on the longer-term charge of finding a permanent replacement to help Hawaii through the challenging times ahead," said Roy Tokujo, the volunteer chairman of the HTA board.

The terms of employment for the permanent CEO have not been disclosed.

Fishman, 54, a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, was hired in 1999 on a three-year contract that was to expire at the end of March 2002. The HTA agreed to let him go early with a severance package worth four months of salary and benefits. Tokujo said last week that the permanent replacement will be an employee of the HTA, rather than an independent contractor like Fishman.

States take divergent views of Microsoft deal

WASHINGTON >> The coalition of 18 states that joined the federal antitrust suit against Microsoft faces the prospect of splitting. Some states are preparing to accept a settlement with the software giant, one is rejecting it and others have it under consideration.

New York is planning to sign the agreement with some added restrictions on Microsoft, a source close to the deliberations said today. New York officials have been in touch with Microsoft and Justice Department lawyers, the source said.

Meanwhile, Massachusetts Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly said the settlement has too many loopholes and refused to agree without major changes. Top lawyers for 18 states and the District of Columbia have until tomorrow morning to tell a judge whether they will join the deal agreed to Thursday night by the Justice Department and Microsoft.