New consumer advocate is selected

Dean Nishina, the public utilities/transportation administrator for the state Division of Consumer Advocacy, has been promoted to executive director of the agency.

The Division of Consumer Advocacy oversees the division's representation of consumer interests before the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission and other local and federal agencies.

Nishina is replacing Catherine Awakuni, who had been in the position for just more than three years and resigned for personal reasons.

“;I look forward to helping the division fulfill its responsibilities during this dynamic and challenging period,”; said Nishina, who has been with the department for more than 16 years. “;We have to get Hawaii to a position of energy dependence. Helping implement the groundbreaking Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative is a top priority.”;

PBN taps Lohman as publisher

Mary Beth Lohman, a former circulation director of Pacific Business News, has been named the publication's first female publisher.

Lohman, 48, will be the fifth publisher overall at the weekly Honolulu-based business newspaper, which was founded in 1963 by George Mason.

She is taking over for Larry Fuller, who retired yesterday after 11 years at the helm.

Lohman had worked as circulation director at PBN since 1996 and was responsible for overseeing the sale and distribution of PBN's print and online products, as well as the marketing of the newspaper and its business recognition events.

She began working for PBN's parent company, Charlotte, N.C.-based American City Business Journals, in 1991 when she became circulation director of the Phoenix Business Journal.

Community Links shutting down

Community Links Hawaii, a nonprofit incubator that helps fledgling nonprofit groups serve a need in the community that is not already being addressed, is closing at the end of January.

The nonprofit has given its projects 60 days to make alternate plans for the future operations of their programs. Although Community Links could not sustain its central office, the incubated projects' assets remain intact. Four out of five people in the central office were terminated on Monday, including President and Chief Executive Officer Josh Levinson, although the affected staff is continuing to volunteer its time to facilitate the winding down of the organization and to help its incubated projects find new corporate homes. Among Community Links' duties were helping nonprofits formulate business plans and manage their funding.

ON THEMOVE

  » Technology News Bytes has appointed Quincy Solano to president and chief operating officer. He worked in the local IT industry over the past seven years, including as a help desk technician for Star Markets Ltd. and as a recruiter for the IT industry with Express Employment Professionals.

» The Hawaii Psychological Association has presented Aloha Pacific Federal Credit Union with a first-place award in the nonprofit category for 2009 Psychologically Healthy Workplace. The award was designed to recognize organizations that are committed to fostering employee health and well-being in addition to enhancing organizational performance and productivity.

» Best Lawyers has named David F. Simons as Honolulu Best Lawyers Labor and Employment Lawyer of the Year for 2010. The current 16th edition of the Best Lawyers in America 2010 is based on more than 2.8 million detailed evaluations of lawyers by their colleagues.

» Pagoda Hotel and Terrace has named John Dailey as director of sales. His experience includes director of sales and marketing for Hilo Hattie, office manager at HRI Inc. and sales manager at Outrigger Hotels and Resorts and Kona Surf Resort.