Hawaii native tabbed as Ag inspector general
WASHINGTON >> A former Hawaii resident has been nominated by President Bush to become inspector general for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.The nomination of Phyllis K. Fong, originally from Honolulu, was announced last week. She would succeed Roger C. Viadero, who recently resigned.
Fong has served as the inspector general of the Small Business Administration since 1999.
She also has held a number of other legal and management positions during her tenure with the Office of Inspector General, most recently serving as assistant inspector general for management and legal counsel prior to her confirmation.
Fong is a graduate of Pomona College and Vanderbilt University Law School.
Tokyo stocks fall 150 after 2 days of gains
TOKYO >> Tokyo share prices fell today following two sessions of healthy gains.The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average lost 149.63 points, or 1.2 percent, to 11,498.38. The average had added a total of 232.70 points in the previous two trading days, including Friday's rise of 79.19 points.
The Nikkei started moderately higher following Wall Street's gains on Friday. But the index later fell into negative territory as investors cashed in advances in such technology blue-chips as NTT, NTT DoCoMo, Sony, NEC and Fujitsu, all of which ended down.
Other investors also kept to the sidelines ahead of key monetary policy meetings later this week in the United States and Japan. The U.S. Federal Open Market Committee holds a policy meeting tomorrow, the same day the Bank of Japan begins a two-day policy making meeting.
Iacocca says he's shut out by DaimlerChrysler chief
DETROIT >> Former Chrysler Corp. Chairman Lee Iacocca wants to return to the company he once helped lead, but said DaimlerChrysler AG Chairman Juergen Schrempp has shut him out.Schrempp and Iacocca have talked over the past few years about Iacocca's possible return to the automaker, the Detroit News reported yesterday.
Iacocca said Schrempp, the mastermind behind Daimler-Benz's 1998 acquisition of Chrysler, led him on for months about a possible role in reviving Chrysler. The company has struggled with sinking profits since it was acquired by the German car maker. Schrempp was unavailable for comment.
[TAKING NOTICE]
TAKING NOTICE
>> Wendy A. Abe has been named director of donor services at the Blood Bank of Hawaii and is responsible for donor recruitment. Most recently, she was vice president of campaign and community relations for Aloha United Way. Also at the Blood Bank, Roger N. Murai was named director of human resources. He has worked in the hotel industry as an executive level human resource generalist. In addition, Ellen DiSalvo has been appointed director of laboratory services for the organization.>> Colin Saito has joined Finance Factors Ltd. as a residential loan manager. He will be responsible for generating retail sales of residential and portfolio mortgage loans out of the company's Hilo Branch. Saito most recently worked as an independent insurance agent with the Ohana Financial Group.
ON THE BOARD
>> Buck Laird has been named president of the Advertising Agency Association of Hawaii. Other new officers of the association are Jean Myers, who was elected vice president, and Tim Deegan, who was named both secretary and treasurer.>> Larry Yamada has been elected president of the Hawaii Chapter of the Society of Financial Service Professionals for 2001-02. Other newly-elected chapter officers include: Russell Lo, president elect; Ronald Okada, secretary; and John Enomoto, treasurer.