Name: Mike Nozaki
Age: 50
Position: Hawaii general manager, American Airlines
First job: Busboy, Fort Hood, Texas
Favorite pastimes: Reading, tennis, golf, surfing
After 27 years with American Airlines, Mike Nozaki is returning home to Hawaii where he started his career as a flight steward while also a student at the University of Hawaii. He was one of the first 12 male flight stewards in the South Pacific division. Landing back in Hawaii
with American"Coming back is great," Nozaki said. "I'm looking forward to a long and prosperous tenure in Hawaii."
Nozaki also wants to teach his 8-year-old son, Peter, the art of "what not to do with a surfboard."
Nozaki will supervise the airline's operation in both Honolulu and Maui. He replaces general manager Bill Crosby, who is retiring. Nozaki has had American Airlines management jobs in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas/Fort Worth and Tokyo. He earned a bachelor's in sociology from the University of Hawaii. Nozaki's wife, Kit, also was a flight attendant at American.
By Jerry Tune, Star-Bulletin
