TheBuzz
TheBuzz
Veteran Honolulu ad and PR man Jim Loomis has "been trying to formulate (his) exit strategy for awhile." Jim Loomis’ retirement
not loomingHe has an employee ownership plan in place, as well as a relatively new heir apparent, but there will be no 'lollygagging on the beach' entries on his appointment calendar anytime soon.
Albert R. "Arkie" Koehl has joined Loomis Inc. as senior vice president of operations and business development to assume day to day operations in January, Loomis said. "Arkie" is the name chosen for his business card.
"That will give me a chance to focus on politicals and a couple new projects the agency's going to be working on. I expect to be here full time for the foreseeable future," he said.
"Political campaigns are my little niche," Loomis said, adding "I don't expect to be getting any time off for the next year."
Loomis is a veteran of many campaigns, including some both successful and unsuccessful for former Honolulu Mayor Frank Fasi. Loomis served as "the information and complaint guy," in the Fasi administration from 1971-78.
In spite of his seasonal immersion in politicking and issue-spinning, he watches TV's "The West Wing" "religiously," he said.
In addition to running his own consulting firm in San Francisco, Koehl's resume winds through heavy hitters in the ad agency business from Ogilvy & Mather to SSC&B (now Ammirati-Lintas) to McCann-Erickson International, and stretches from the East Coast to the West Coast to Japan, including time in Mexico City where Loomis said, "within three years he became CEO."
Loomis learned his successor-to-be had assimilated so well into the local ad community that Koehl was elected president of the Mexican Advertising Agency Association.
"He's a linguist anyway. He speaks fluent Spanish and is conversant in German and at least one other language."
Koehl has been "legitimately interested in the local culture where ever he's been," Loomis said. "He used the word 'kuleana' in conversation the other day.
"The staff is really crazy about him," Loomis said.
Before accepting the position Koehl was pulled aside by one of Loomis' staffers, concerned that he be aware of the gravity of the decision before him. He was asked, "You know this is the end of the world, right?" meaning, the last stop for his career. Koehl chuckled in telling the story at a recent industry luncheon -- and then he asked for the shoyu.
Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin.
Call 529-4302, fax 529-4750 or write to Erika Engle,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu, HI 96813. She can also be reached
at: eengle@starbulletin.com