Promotions and career moves by the people you know — and those you should

Tutor Perini Corp. announced the promotion of Leonard K. Kaae to president of Black Construction Corp., the company’s Guam-based subsidiary. 

He was previously senior vice president and general manager. 

Kaae is also on the management team of a variety of Black companies, to include Black Micro Corp. in the Northern Mariana Islands; E.E. Black Ltd. in the Philippines; and Black Construction/Mace International Joint Venture, Diego Garcia.

His career with the Black organization began in Hawaii and took him throughout the Pacific Rim to Guam, Micronesia and the Philippines. 

He leads a team of about 2,000 employees, who are working on several multi-million-dollar projects at any given time. 

Black Construction is regularly featured in the annual Bank of Guam ASC Trust list of the Top Companies in Micronesia, published by Guam Business Magazine. 

Kaae has been with the Black Group for more than 40 years and has lived in Guam since 1985.

He is the Guam Business Magazine 2017 Executive of the Year.

Docomo Pacific Inc. has announced the following appointments:

Daniel J. Tydingco, has been named chief legal, compliance and regulatory officer.

He previously was executive vice president of GTA, and formerly director of policy, planning and community relations for the Unified Courts of Guam, as well as serving prior to that as executive officer of the Supreme Court of Guam.

Tydingco began his career in 1983 as a congressional aide in the U.S. House of Representatives for then Guam Congressman A. B. Won Pat.

He holds a 1983 bachelor of arts from Regis University in Denver, Colo.

Stacy Elarmo has been named senior vice president of human resources.

She previously was vice president of people operations at GTA, where she formerly served as head of people operations. Prior to that Elarmo served as director of human resources for Artefact in Seattle, Wash. 

Elarmo began her career in 1999 as executive assistant for Digital Generation Systems in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

She holds a bachelor’s in psychology from the University of San Francisco, and a master certificate in human resource management from Cornell University.

Bank of Guam announced the following appointments:

Merced “Marcie” Tomokane has been appointed to the position of vice president/ CNMI regional development officer.

Tomokane previously was vice president and CNMI regional manager with the bank, a role she held since 2003. She also served as vice president/branch manager and assistant vice president/branch operations manager. 

Tomokane began her banking career with Bank of America in 1973, She is a 2006 graduate of the American Bankers Association Stonier Graduate School of Banking and has more than 31 years of experience in banking operations and management. 

Tomokane is the 2013 Saipan Chamber of Commerce Businessperson of the Year.

David Guerrero as vice president/CNMI regional manager. 

He previously was economic development manager for the Commonwealth Economic Development Authority and formerly served as assistant vice president and commercial banking officer for First Hawaiian Bank. 

Guerro also held two assistant vice presidencies at Bank of Guam from November 2008 to May 2014 as assistant vice president in the AML & Fraud Investigations Division and for BG Investment Services Inc. He began his career as an underwriter with Kaiser Permanente in the San Francisco Bay area in 2005 and has more than 20 years of experience in banking and financial services. 

Guerrero holds a bachelor of arts and a master of arts, both in economics and from California State University – East Bay. 

He is an Advisory Council member for the CNMI Small Business Development Center.

Ryan Ditchen as vice president and Pohnpei branch manager.

He previously was vice president and Majuro branch manager and formerly was assistant vice president and customer engagement officer in Guam. 

Ditchen has more than 10 years of banking experience with Bank of Guam, starting in 2014 as a customer service associate teller.

Rington Paul has been appointed vice president and Majuro Branch Manager. He formerly served as deputy managing director for the Marshall Islands Development Bank and previously was assistant manager for Investment Promotion and Business Development at the Office of Commerce, Investment, and Tourism of the Marshall Islands.

Paul holds a 2013 bachelor’s of business administration from St. Martin’s University, a 2017 master’s of business administration from the University of South Pacific and a 2018 doctorate in philosophy from the University of the Virgin Islands. He is currently enrolled in the doctoral program in Creative Leadership for Innovation and Change at the University of the Virgin Islands.

Jennifer Marie Finona-Sablan has been appointed assistant vice president and Tinian branch manager. She previously served as assistant cashier and Harmon Branch operations manager, and was a member of the Familia Ambassador Program Pilot Team.

Finona-Sablan has more than 22 years of experience with Bank of Guam, having started as a customer service associate in 2003.

Carisse Dawn Vendiola has been promoted to chief commercial officer, at IT&E, the first executive to hold this position.

She previously was senior director for business operations and previously was executive director for business support services and has been with IT&E since March 2016, joining the group as head of analytics.

Vendiola held various positions in the Philippines, beginning her career as a business and pricing analyst with Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. in 2005. 

She holds a 2005 bachelor’s of business administration and accountancy from the University of the Philippines Diliman.

Atkins Kroll Inc. has announced the following directorship transitions.

Trina Cruz to marketing and brand engagement director, from marketing, communications and BMW franchise director.

Thomas Mazzei to director of sales for all sales departments.

Ernie Galito to business development and sustainability director, from business development director. 

In addition, Margie Camu has been promoted to supply & demand manager, from assistant manager for the department.

GTA has announced the following appointments:

Kamia Leon Guerrero-Dierking has been promoted to senior director of government affairs.

She previously was director of enterprise marketing and formerly was director of employee experience. Dierking has been with GTA since October 2006. 

She holds a 2003 bachelor of arts in political science from the University of Arizona.

Dierking also serves on the board of directors of the Bank of Guam.

Jennifer Taitano has been appointed director of human resources.

She previously was the people operations manager and formerly was a people operations generalist and has been with GTA since June 2010. 

Taitano is a Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional and EQ certified.

Ione Skye A. Llagas has been appointed director of strategic projects and metrics at GTA. 

She previously was director of carrier relations and wholesale at Docomo Pacific Inc. and formerly was director of technology strategy and projects at Docomo. 

Llagas is also an adjunct professor at the University of Guam. 

She holds a bachelor’s in business administration and human resource management and a professional master’s in business administration from the University of Guam. Llagas was certified as a project management professional by the Project Management Institute in 2021. 

Jeremy Young has been appointed director of strategic sales operations.

He previously was special projects manager with M-80 Systems Inc. and formerly was director of business development with GTA.  Young has worked in the telecom industry since 2008. 

He holds a UC Berkeley Executive College education certification, and a Quality Control manager certification. 

Tommy Blas has been appointed director of facilities infrastructure.

He previously was senior manager for facilities infrastructure and formerly manager for strategic business delivery. 

Blas holds a variety of certifications.

He is a member of the Rotary Club of Northern Guam.

Ashley A. Tingson has been appointed digital content manager.

She previously was a digital marketing specialist with GTA. 

Tingson has been with GTA for three years, where she started as a marketing specialist for consumer campaigns.

She holds a 2016 bachelor’s in communications from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  

Michelle Kramer has been appointed honorary consul of the Marshall Islands to Guam. 

She is also managing director of Pacific International Inc. (Guam).

Kramer holds an associate degree in liberal arts from the College of the Marshall Islands and a bachelor’s in business administration from Hawaii Pacific University. She is an alumna of the first class of the Pacific Islands Leadership Program, launched in 2013 between Taiwan and the East-West Center in Honolulu and was previously featured in Guam Business Magazine’s “40 under Forty.” The Government of Guam has a consular corps that includes consuls general and honorary consuls.