Executive Profile
Monday, January 4, 1999

Name: Ron Paik
Age: 50
Position: Health export manager, Oahu Economic Development Board
First job: Coring pineapples
Hobbies: Marathon running, reading

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Group sells isles as
healthy destination

Ron Paik will coordinate the marketing of Hawaii-based health services to Asia as part of an effort to revitalize the economy.

Paik, a former executive director of the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, will work through a new public-private partnership that includes Kaiser Permanente, Queens International Corp., Kapiolani Health and the Oahu Economic Development Board. He said Hawaii can combine health services and wellness vacation packages, such as the Honolulu marathon. "This year 12,000 (of the 24,000 runners) were from Japan," Paik said.

He has more than 15 years experience with health programs, including Prospect Associates, a Washington D.C. consulting firm; and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute minority committee, an advisory group. Paik also was health communications coordinator with the Hawaii Cancer Information Service.

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By Jerry Tune, Star-Bulletin