Okamura joined Moms In Hawaii on May 13 after leaving her position as Hawaii Pacific Entertainment’s Director of Client Services and Promotions. As Community Building Mom at Moms In Hawaii, Okamura will help broaden Moms In Hawaii’s outreach to mothers, as well as help strengthen relationships with businesses.

“We are extremely excited to have someone of Nicole’s experience and expertise in client services, promotions and event planning to help us get to the next level in our expansion plans,” said MIH Chief Executive Mom Esme Infante Nii. “Nicole’s background in social media is an additional talent we need at this important growth period for Moms In Hawaii.”

Nii said Okamura, who has two children, also understands “mom culture” and its key issues and will help Moms In Hawaii become even more successful in its mission of “Moms Empowering Moms.”

Okamura worked for three years for Hawaii Pacific Entertainment (HPE), a major media and entertainment company, overseeing new client acquisitions and client services; providing online and offline client promotional opportunities in both traditional and social media platforms; and handling HPE’s sales department, among other duties.

“As a mother of two beautiful children, I deeply appreciate the networking, information and activities that Moms In Hawaii provides for the hundreds of thousands of people it touches via MomsInHawaii.com and other social media channels, multimedia, partnerships, events and promotions,” Okamura said. “I look forward to helping Moms In Hawaii put on more great events and expand its support for moms everywhere.

A graduate of St. Andrew’s Priory School, Okamura earned a degree in communications from the University of Hawaii. Aside from working with Hawaii Pacific Entertainment, her career includes work at Kamehameha Schools, Blanche Pope Elementary School, Island Partners Hawaii, Matsumoto & Clapperton Advertising, KGMB-9 TV and Cox Radio.

About Moms In Hawaii:

Moms In Hawaii is a free local online and “in real life” community whose mission is “Moms Empowering Moms.” MIH connects mothers across the Islands, offering information, mom-to-mom support, events and promotions to help keep moms and their families healthy and happy, all while adding some fun along the way! Moms In Hawaii’s Founding Sponsors include McDonald’s Restaurants of Hawaii and The Queens Medical Center. Supporting Sponsors include First Hawaiian Bank, Blue Planet Foundation and Meadow Gold Dairies. Hawaii News Now is Media Sponsor.

To connect with Moms In Hawaii, start by registering on its free website at www.momsinhawaii.com. The Moms In Hawaii community also can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube.

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“It is a great pleasure to see younger professionals in our industry grow and succeed at CommPac,” said Kitty Lagareta, CommPac CEO. “Nicole, Shauna and David are each leaders in our firm and valued counselors to our clients.”

Fuertes joined CommPac as an account executive in 2008, bringing with her more than five years of public relations experience. Her leadership and counsel have brought success to a wide range of clients in the travel and tourism, hospitality, arts and culture, retail, construction and nonprofit industries.

Specializing in media relations, issues management, special events and promotions, Fuertes has created new partnerships, grown current accounts, created new business opportunities – and not hesitated to challenge conventional thinking.

Fuertes’ work has won several Koa Anvil Awards from the Public Relations Society of America’s Hawaii chapter. She serves on the board of directors of the Nanala at Mehana community association. She previously served as a member of the Father Damien Canonization Committee.

Born and raised in Hawaii, Fuertes is a graduate of Boston University where she received her degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Goya joined CommPac in 2010 as an account executive and, after quickly demonstrating an ability to deliver client results, earned several promotions to her current position, director. She specializes in corporate communications and media relations, having worked a decade at The Honolulu Advertiser.

Goya manages a diverse set of accounts with clients in the health-care, utility, construction, insurance, education, real estate and nonprofit sectors. She has helped lead CommPac’s media training sessions and social media team.

Goya has a deep understanding of the evolving media landscape and a rich network of Hawaii media contacts. She is connected to many of Hawaii’s most influential social media users whose online voices can have a big impact on the communities in which they live, work and play. A former newspaper blogger, Goya is also aware of the increasingly important role of digital communications and advises clients on how bloggers and citizen journalists are affecting traditional news gathering.

Goya represents CommPac on the Best Practices Committee of IPREX, one of the largest partnerships of independent communications firms in major markets around the globe. She serves on the board of the Social Media Club Hawaii, is a member of the Honolulu Executives Association and heads up the Young Professionals Resource Committee for the Public Relations Society of America (Hawaii chapter).

Born and raised in Hawaii, Goya is a graduate of the University of Hawaii, where she earned her degree in journalism and speech.

Lato joined CommPac in 2012 as an account executive, bringing with him more than 10 years of experience in public relations and nonprofit grant administration and management. Since then, he has assisted a variety of clients with community building, media relations, and strategic counsel and planning. He has also been instrumental in developing a specialized crisis communications training program for retail managers and in providing enculturation training.

Before coming to CommPac, Lato was the grants program administrator for Easter Seals Hawaii, where he helped secure and manage more than $12 million in capital and programmatic grants from government, corporations, and local foundations and trusts. He also helped arrange and oversee numerous fundraisers and community events.

Earlier, Lato worked at Community Links Hawaii, where he administered $3 million in grant funds for a project targeting at-risk and vulnerable youth through digital media. He previously worked in public relations at AlohaCare, where he spearheaded community and stakeholder outreach, and at a local public relations agency. He began his career as an instructor in Waianae High School’s Searider Productions program.

A graduate of the University of Hawaii, Lato earned a master’s of business administration degree from Chaminade University of Honolulu. Born and raised in Honolulu, he is a graduate of Waianae High School.

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Communications Pacific is Hawaii’s leading integrated communications company, offering public relations, marketing, community building, crisis communication and enculturation services. Hawaii’s “go to” communicators, CommPac is a trusted advisor to clients and partners. It strives not only to bring clients success, but also, in every way possible, to strengthen communities, the economy, and the social and cultural fiber of these Islands. For more than four decades, CommPac has provided strategic – and creative – communications counsel that gets results. It is a member of IPREX, one of the largest partnerships of independent communications firms in major markets around the globe, providing clients with global reach while working with the local expertise of its award-winning partner firms.

On Sunday, May 19 from 3 to 4 p.m. the public is invited to bring their pupus, chairs and mats to the stage area between Pier 1 and Macy’s and sit back and enjoy classic Hawaiian story-telling by dance performed by Halau Hula Aloha ‘o Pu‘uwailani, overseen by their kumu hula Donna Sylvester.

On Saturday, May 25 from 4 to 5:30 p.m., in the Kailua Parking Garage behind Longs Drugs, you are welcomed to be entertained by two award-winning Island musicians, Jon Yamasato on guitar and ‘ukulele virtuoso Herb Ohta Jr.

“We are pleased to be able to offer some of the state’s most talented musicians and dancers at these terrific free musical events,” said Terry George, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation, which this year is marking 50 years of grant giving in Hawaii. “Donna Sylvester is one more example of Kailua’s amazing wealth of home-grown, talented hula instructors and dancers. Jon Yamasato and Herb Ohta Jr. generate excitement whenever they play together. It’s impossible not to get ‘chicken skin’ when they launch into some of their signature instrumentals.”

Sylvester began doing the hula when she was just 7 years old and eventually danced for Ellen Castillo, the renowned Waimanalo kumu hula who, for 50 years, taught thousands of girls and women a graceful hula style that she was known for. Now a veteran kumu hula, Sylvester has had her share of success with students, including Amber Melelani Lopes, who took first place in the 2010 Miss Hula Oni E (kahiko division) competition.

Ohta learned to play the ‘ukulele at age 3 from his father, ‘ukulele master Ohta-san, began teaching at age 9 and has gone on to become a multiple Na Hoku Hanohano-award winner and one of the most respected ‘ukulele musicians in the world. Yamasato also is a multiple Hoku-award winner who began his musical career as lead singer for the contemporary Hawaiian trio Pure Heart.

Ohta and Yamasato, who is also a successful realtor, have often performed together and caused one “chicken skin” moment when they played an instrumental version of “Itsumo Nandedemo” (“Always With Me”) at the 2011 Slack Key Show – Masters of Hawaiian Music, dedicating the song to the victims of the Japan earthquake and tsunami.

“Kanikapila in Kailua” – founded in partnership with noted Hawaiian composer, producer and slack key artist Kawika Kahiapo – and the “I Love Hula” series are a continuing effort by the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation to present the best of Hawaiian song and dance on the Windward side.

For more information about the shows, call the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation at 263-7073 or check for updates to the 2013 performance schedule online at www.castlefoundation.org.

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The Harold K.L. Castle Foundation, the largest private foundation headquartered in Hawaii, is committed to closing the achievement and preparation gaps in public education so that all Hawaii’s children have access to high-quality pre-K-12 education that prepares them for success in college, career and citizenship. Its grants also focus on restoring nearshore marine ecosystems and strengthening Windward Oahu communities.

“McDonald’s Restaurants of Hawaii is proud to award these well-earned scholarships to our outstanding employee-scholars and support their journey toward a college degree,” said Linda Rosario, a McDonald’s Restaurants of Hawaii owner and operator. “We look forward to watching these employees continue to grow as they work toward their professional goals.”

This year’s $25,000 scholarship package is an example of McDonald’s Restaurants of Hawaii’s continuing commitment to reward hardworking employee-scholars. Since 1995, scholarship recipients have been selected based on academic achievement, community involvement and on-the-job performance. The winners, listed below, will use their scholarships at the following institutions this fall.

The McDonald’s Employee Scholarship Program winners for 2013 are:

Myra Agcaoili – McDonald’s of Haleiwa

Myra is a senior at Waialua High School and will attend the University of Hawaii – West Oahu.

Mary Joy Agonoy – McDonald’s of Kahului

Mary is a senior at Maui High School and will attend the University of Hawaii Maui College.

Alidrin Armandico – McDonald’s of Dairy Road

Alidrin is a senior at Maui High School and will attend the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Christian Dela Cruz – McDonald’s of Pearl Harbor

Christian is a senior at Radford High School and will attend the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Alyssa Doronio – McDonald’s of Makiki

Alyssa is a senior at McKinley High School and will attend the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Bianca Mina – McDonald’s of Ewa Beach

Bianca is a senior at James Campbell High School and has not yet selected a school.

Jeannie Ramelb – McDonald’s of Kahana

Jeannie is a senior at Lahainaluna High School and will attend the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Levi Sykes – McDonald’s of Ewa Beach

Levi is a senior at James Campbell High School and will attend the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Zaylen Villanueva – McDonald’s of Pearl Kai

Zaylen is a senior at Waipahu High School and will attend Hawaii Pacific University.

Tayla Yogi – McDonald’s of Mililani Town

Tayla is a senior at Mililani High School and will attend George Fox University.

About McDonald’s Restaurants of Hawaii

McDonald’s Restaurants of Hawaii has 85 restaurants and more than 5,200 employees in Hawaii, Guam and Saipan. In Hawaii alone, the company has 75 restaurants and more than 4,600 employees. McDonald’s total economic impact on the state yearly, directly and indirectly, is about $370 million in spending and nearly 12,000 jobs in the community. McDonald’s prides itself on offering career opportunities to employees, with most managers staying with the company for more than 18 years. Follow McDonald’s Restaurants of Hawaii on Twitter at @McDonaldsHawaii.

About McDonald’s

McDonald’s USA, LLC, serves a variety of menu options made from quality ingredients to more than 26 million customers every day. Nearly 89 percent of McDonald’s 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by businessmen and women. Customers can now log online for free at approximately 11,500 participating Wi-Fi enabled McDonald’s U.S. restaurants. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, or follow us on Twitter (@McDonalds) and Facebook (Facebook.com/McDonalds) for updates on our business, promotions and products.

The following trademarks used herein are owned by McDonald’s Corporation and its affiliates: McDonald’s. © 2013 McDonald’s

With 25 markets and cafes around the globe, DEAN & DELUCA continues to delight and inspire shoppers with its extraordinary selection of curated foods and its dedication to quality. The debut in Hawaii will add to the brand’s growing roster of markets and cafes, including New York City, Washington, D.C., Napa Valley, Charlotte and Kansas City in the U.S., and Japan, Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar, Thailand, South Korea, Singapore, and Turkey internationally. Today, DEAN & DELUCA is owned and led by Napa Valley-based entrepreneur and vintner Leslie Rudd, who, along with other investors, purchased the brand in 1996. Over the years, Rudd, while staying true to the founders’ original vision, expanded the company to include multiple markets and cafes first in the U.S. and now with selected partners worldwide.

DEAN & DELUCA Hawaii will be home to a highly curated selection of gourmet food products, including fine cheeses, charcuterie, pastry, baked goods, and more, as well as seasonally prepared foods. The selection will also pay homage to the Hawaiian Islands’ bountiful produce and regional, local cuisine. DEAN & DELUCA’s signature line of coveted products, from spices to chocolates and candies to coffee and tea, vinegars, oils, sauces, snacks and more, will also be found in in the store, as well as online and via DEAN & DELUCA’s catalogue.

“We are thrilled to launch DEAN & DELUCA in Hawaii, and are incredibly excited about our first location at The Residences, as well as our future homes throughout the islands,” said Geoffrey Upham, Managing Director International of DEAN & DELUCA. “We’re looking forward to being in the heart of this world-renowned community with its rich culture and food scene, and becoming a go-to destination for visitors and neighborhood shoppers.”

“We are excited to work with DEAN & DELUCA, one of the world’s most beloved and iconic food brands, to bring the very best artisanally made gourmet products to The Residences development,” said Jason Grosfeld, Authorized representative for PACREP LLC.  “We couldn’t imagine a better gourmet food experience for our visitors and guests.”

About DEAN & DELUCA:
Founded in 1977 by Joel Dean, Giorgio DeLuca and Jack Ceglic with the opening of its flagship store in SoHo, New York, DEAN & DELUCA is a multi-channel retailer of gourmet specialty foods with locations throughout the United States and abroad. DEAN & DELUCA specialty products are sold at 25 retail locations around the world, through catalogs and through an e-commerce site, www.deandeluca.com.

About PACREP LLC:
PACREP LLC is a special purpose entity formed to develop and own The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach.  Its managing member is a company owned by Jason Grosfeld, who produced a track record of success in Hawaii, including Trump International Hotel™ Waikiki Beach Walk®.  With this new project, Mr. Grosfeld hopes to continue to enhance Hawaii with a beautiful and first-class luxury project.

“This is a very exciting day because our new real estate showroom will give our early buyers and new real estate prospects a preview of what to expect as we bring the world’s best hotel and residences brand to Waikiki,” said Jason Grosfeld, on behalf of PACREP LLC. “The early demand to purchase at The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach has been extremely strong.  Much of the building has already been reserved through international sales partners and loyal Hawaii-based brokers and purchasers. Our VIP Sales Program is now underway and continuing the momentum with significant interest for the excellent selection of remaining residences coming primarily from Japan, the US Mainland and Hawaii.”

The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach real estate showroom is now open from noon to 5 p.m. seven days a week and by appointment only. The two-story showroom features the lifestyle offered at The Residences with large-scale renderings of the amenities, and a 20-foot wide interactive viewing screen that displays the unobstructed views of the ocean over Fort DeRussy Park. Kitchen and bathroom models provide a sample of the luxury finishes and fixtures planned for the residences.

Grosfeld also announced at today’s blessing that Dean & DeLuca, the iconic New York lifestyle brand and beloved retailer renowned for its curated selection of artisan-made gourmet food, will open at The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach.

The 38-floor luxury property will feature 309 residences ranging from studios to three-bedrooms and penthouses, and unobstructed views of the Pacific Ocean. Residence prices start at $500,000 and exceed $15 million for penthouses. Construction is expected to begin late this year, with completion in early 2016.

For real estate availability or to book a showroom appointment, please call (808) 445-9083 or visit www.theresidenceswaikiki.com.

About PACREP LLC and Jason Grosfeld:
PACREP LLC is a special-purpose entity formed to develop and own The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach. Its managing member is a company owned by Jason Grosfeld, who produced a track record of success in Hawaii including Trump International Hotel™ Waikiki Beach Walk® and, previously, The Watermark.

The introduction of the Egg White Delight McMuffin supports McDonald’s “Commitments to Offer Improved Nutrition Choices,” announced in 2011. The new muffin is made with 8 grams of whole grain and the lean Canadian bacon provides quality protein. At 250 calories, the Egg White Delight McMuffin is McDonald’s newest wholesome breakfast choice under 300 calories in addition to the Egg McMuffin®, Fruit & Maple Oatmeal and Fruit N’ Yogurt Parfait.

“Since introducing the Egg McMuffin more than 40 years ago, customers have come to know and love McDonald’s breakfast sandwiches for their great taste,” said Melanie Okazaki, regional marketing manager of McDonald’s Restaurants of Hawaii. “We are excited to now offer our customers a new way to enjoy breakfast at McDonald’s with our egg white options.”

McDonald’s customers may choose to include egg whites on the following breakfast items: Egg McMuffin; Sausage McMuffin with Egg; Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit; Sausage Biscuit with Egg; Bacon, Egg & Cheese McGriddles®; Sausage, Egg & Cheese McGriddles; and all breakfast platters.

For nutrition and ingredient information and additional details about egg whites on breakfast sandwiches and platters, as well as McDonald’s full line of national menu choices, visit www.McDonalds.com.

About McDonald’s Restaurants of Hawaii
McDonald’s Restaurants of Hawaii has 85 restaurants and more than 5,200 employees in Hawaii, Guam and Saipan. In Hawaii alone, the company has 75 restaurants and more than 4,600 employees. McDonald’s total economic impact on the state, directly and indirectly, is about $285 million in spending and nearly 12,000 jobs in the community. McDonald’s prides itself on offering career opportunities to employees, with most managers staying with the company for more than 18 years. Follow McDonald’s Restaurants of Hawaii on Twitter at @McDonaldsHawaii.

About McDonald’s
McDonald’s USA, LLC, serves a variety of menu options made from quality ingredients to more than 26 million customers every day. Nearly 89 percent of McDonald’s 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by businessmen and women. Customers can now log online for free at approximately 11,500 participating Wi-Fi enabled McDonald’s U.S. restaurants. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, or follow us on Twitter (@McDonalds) and Facebook (Facebook.com/McDonalds) for updates on our business, promotions and products.

The following trademarks used herein are owned by McDonald’s Corporation and its affiliates: McDonald’s, McMuffin, McGriddles. © 2013 McDonald’s

It is the second high-rise solar project for Bonterra, one of Hawaii’s fastest growing solar companies. But it won’t be its last.

“The rooftops of many residential and commercial high-rises are perfect places to install large PV systems,” said Bonterra founder and principal Andrew Yani. “The roofs are large, flat and strong.”

Bonterra has several high-rise projects on the way and is actively looking for more.

“Less than 10 percent of condominiums and apartment buildings in Honolulu have gone solar,” said Blair Herbert, Bonterra principal and head of the company’s Commercial Division. “It’s time for condo owners to get in on the solar boom in the Islands.”

Bonterra Solar panels were installed on the roof of the Crown Thurston.

Herbert said that over a week and a half, Bonterra Solar installed 160 American-made, state-of-the-art SolarWorld panels on the Crown Thurston condo on Spencer Street in Makiki. That’s enough to generate 40 kilowatts of electricity. As an added bonus for the condo owners, Bonterra teamed up with Pacific Island Coatings to first apply a new membrane coating to the roof and both the PV installation and new roof were covered by financing.

“The apartment owners had zero out-of-pocket expenses on this project,” Herbert said. “The cost of putting in a PV system in a high-rise is not sky high. There are all kinds of financing options. And each high-rise project helps Hawaii get a little closer to meeting its clean energy goals.”

Crown Thurston building manager Rey Patio said the project was a win/win for everyone.

“When it comes to major improvements, my concerns are cost, quality, time and how it will affect my residents,” Patio said. “Bonterra exceeded all our expectations and treated our property and residents with respect. The planning, the workmanship and service exemplify why Bonterra is a leader in Hawaii’s solar industry.”

Patio said the Crown Thurston project went a step further when it comes to going green.

“The solar panels came from the mainland protected by wooden pallets,” he said. “We recycled those wooden pallets, turning them into planters for our residents to grow their own produce and spices on the condo grounds.”

Hawaii came in seventh in the country in the Solar Energy Industries Association’s “2012 Top 10 Solar States” and it gets a greater percentage of its electricity from solar than any other state.

Bonterra Solar Hawaii is a leading installer of cost-effective residential and commercial solar systems that reduce electricity costs and maximize returns on clean energy investments with little, if any, upfront expenses. In 2010, Bonterra was chosen to be the solar installation company for the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands’ Kaupuni Village, the first net-zero energy community in the nation. Bonterra also was selected by Gentry Homes as its exclusive installer of photovoltaic systems on new homes. To learn more about Bonterra Solar, visit www.bonterrasolar.com.