JOHN LEE TO RETIRE;
NEW FIRST HAWAIIAN GUAM MANAGEMENT TEAM ANNOUNCED
(Hagatna, Guam, June 30, 2006) - Culminating a 48-year career at the bank, John K. Lee is retiring from First Hawaiian on June 30, 2006, according to an announcement today by Don Horner, First Hawaiian president and chief executive officer. To coincide with Lee's retirement, the bank is also announcing the new management team for Guam and CMNI.
Lee joined First Hawaiian in 1958. Since that time, he has progressed steadily through the ranks. He relocated from Hawaii to Guam in 1971, and managed the bank's Dededo Branch from 1971 to 1973. He was named manager of First Hawaiian's new Agana branch in 1975 and was promoted to vice president that same year. He is currently the senior vice president and region manager for Guam and CMNI, a position he has held since 1989.
“First Hawaiian Bank has flourished in Guam and Saipan due to John's leadership. We are an integral part of the community thanks to his tireless work on numerous boards and commissions. He was also responsible for building First Hawaiian's network of branches and ATMs,” Horner said. “In many ways, it would be difficult to replace John with just one individual. Fortunately, we have a talented, local management team, headed by Laura Dacanay, to lead our banking operations on Guam and Saipan. I am confident that our new management team will continue to build upon John's many achievements.”
Dacanay, who will replace Lee as First Hawaiian Bank's Guam & CMNI region manager, currently serves as vice president and Maite Banking Center manager, a position she held since 2002. She joined First Hawaiian in 1991 through the company's Creditcorp subsidiary where she served as a branch manager. She was promoted to vice president and manager of the Maite Banking Center in 2002. Her current community service includes: Board of Director for Guam Chamber of Commerce; Chairperson for Guam Economic Development and Commerce Authority; Chair for the Family Selection Committee for the Habitat for Humanity of Guam and Member Guam Hotel and Restaurant Association. She was recently the Vice President and Board of Director for the Habitat for Humanity of Guam.
- Other members of the local management team on Guam include:
- Ed Untalan, who is currently a team leader and vice president of the Maite Banking Center. He will take over Dacanay's responsibilities as vice president and Maite Banking Center manager;
- Maria Calvo, currently an assistant vice president and Dededo branch manager, will continue in that role;
- Peter Valdez, an assistant vice president, will continue to serve as branch manager of the bank's Tamuning branch.
First Hawaiian Bank ($11.7 billion assets) was founded in 1858 and is Hawaii's oldest and largest bank. It has 57 branches in Hawaii, three on Guam and two on Saipan. It is a subsidiary of BancWest Corporation, a financial holding company with assets of $65.7 billion.
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