Okada named 2009 Businesswoman of the Year

Lorraine S. Okada is the 2009 First Hawaiian Bank Guam Business Businesswoman of the Year.

Lorraine S. Okada is the executive manager of Carlsmith Ball LLP. She also owns and operates her own consulting business, Managing Consulting Services, which she started in 2000. The company specializes in human resources, training and development, sales and marketing.

Okada started her career at the Bank of America in 1969 in a clerical position before gradually working her way up to the position of assistant vice president of human resources in 1979. She joined Bank of Hawaii in 1986 as vice president of human resources, community and government relations. She was promoted to vice-president and manager at the Bank of Hawaii in 1998, before moving to her current position at Carlsmith Ball LLP in December 2001.

Okada was president and chairwoman of the board of Make-A-Wish Foundation of America from 2002 to 2005, founding president of the Guam Society for Human Resource Management and president of the American Institute of Banking Guam chapter. She has been the chairwoman of the Guam Community College Foundation Board, the Guam Workforce Investment Board and the Guam Industry Liaison Group. She is a member of the advisory counsel to the Guam Trades Academy and sits on the Guam Education Policy Board at the Guam Chamber of Commerce. She has also been on the board of directors of the Guam Housing Corp. and the Department of Chamorro Affairs.

Okada has been the recipient of a host of awards from different organizations, notably the 1988 presidential award from Soroptomists of the Marianas; the 1989 Hall of Fame award from the American Institute of Banking and the 1993 Award for Professional Excellence from Society of Human Resources Management Guam.

Her partner is Richard K. Cruz and she has five children: Peter John Sanchez, 39; Jerome John Okada, 30; Joel John Okada, 28; Davina Jean Okada, 25 and Jason Cruz, 35.

She joins prior year award recipients Julienne Rose Perez Duenas, physical therapist, owner and clinical director of Sports, Orthopedic and Active Rehabilitation Inc., 2008; Christine Won Pat Baleto, general manager of Market Wholesale Distributors, 2007; and Katherine Calvo Sgro, executive vice president and chairwoman of the board for Pay-Less Markets Inc., 2006.

The First Hawaiian Bank Guam Business Businesswoman of the Year program, now in its fourth year, raises funds for scholarships for the University of Guam, Guam Community College, and the Northern Marianas College.

Okada received the Maga’haga award in front of more than 300 people in a packed ballroom at the Hyatt Regency Guam. [B][I](PR)[/I][/B]