Page 41 - Islands Business January 2021

People People

Tonga Football Association President Lord Hyatt Regency Guam general manager Sophia
Ve’ehala has joined Thierry Ariiotima of Tahiti Chu Wigsten was recently elected unanimously
and John Kapi Natto of PNG as an Oceania as chair of the Guam Hotel and Restaurant
Football Confederation Vice-President. Lord Association.
Ve’ehala first became involved in football Peter Harding has been selected as the
development in 1995 and his re-election as Chief Executive Officer of the Tonga Rugby
President of the Tonga Football Association Union. He takes over from Fe’ao Vunipola, and
in May 2019 made him the longest-serving has worked as the High Performance General
President in the association’s history. He Manager for the Tongan Rugby Union and as
replaces New Caledonia’s Steeve Laigle. Team Manager for the ‘Ikale Tahi, Tonga’s
Former Solomon Islands basketball and National Rugby team.
netball international, Shalom Akao Waita has Pacific Trade Invest New Zealand has a new
been appointed CEO of the 2023 Pacific Games Trade Commissioner. Fiji’s Glynis Miller has Dr Alvin Lal (L) with FNU Acting
Organising Committee. Akao Waita represented been confirmed in the position which she VC William May
Solomon Islands at the 2005 Pacific Mini Games has held in an acting capacity since October
in Palau and 2015 Pacific Games in Port Moresby. 2019. Prior to this appointment she was Trade
She was also a part of the Solomon Islands team Development Officer at the Pacific Islands
management during the 2017 Pacific Mini Games Forum Secretariat in Suva.
in Vanuatu.
The Guam Brewery has named Earvin Jose as
Niue’s Huggard Tongatule is the 2020 ‘Pacific general manager and Andrew Brunson as head
Invasive Species Battler of the Year’ for his brewer. Jose has worked in Guam’s beer and
efforts in managing invasive pigs, weeds and distribution industries for more than five years.
awareness raising activities. The award was
announced at the 10th Pacific Island Conference In memorium
on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas at Pohnpei’s Bethwel Henry, one of FSM’s founding
the end of 2020. fathers and first Speaker of the national Con-
gress died on December 16. From 1988 to 2007
Yolanda Joab Mori has joined Blue he was FSM’s Postmaster General. Dr Ravita Prasad
Prosperity Micronesia as Program Coordinator.
She was most recently Federated States of Torres Strait Islander musician Henry Seaman
Micronesia President David Panuelo’s climate Dan, who was also had ancestral ties to Niue
change advocate and will now plan, guide and New Caledonia, has died at the age of 91.
and implement Blue Prosperity Micronesia’s His music, a combination of Pacific, blues and
activities to fully protect 30% of FSM’s waters, jazz styles, saw him collect a raft of awards
improve fisheries management and develop throughout his long career.
strategies for sustainable economic wellbeing. Fijian QC Julian Moti has died at the age
Pleass Global has appointed its former of 55 in Suva. Moti was appointed a Queen’s
financial controller, Dhara Samarakoon to the Counsel in 2003; and became Attorney General
newly created role of Chief Financial Officer and of Solomon Islands in 2006 in controversial
Atlesh Sharma to the role of finance manager. circumstances. He was pursued by Australian
Pleass produces and exports two water brands prosecutors and extradited from Solomon Islands Shalom Akao Waita
and food and beverage packaging. to Australia in 2007, although the charges
against him were ultimately unsuccessful. He
Dr. Rajni Kaushal Chand has been appointed subsequently taught at the University of Fiji.
as the new Director for the Centre for Flexible
Learning (CFL) at the University of the South Former Tuvalu Prime Minister (2002-2004)
Pacific (USP). Dr Chand has been with the Saufatu Sopoaga has passed away. He was
USP for over 25 years as a student, teacher, known for his international advocacy on climate
researcher and course coordinator. change.
In the Cook Islands, Lesley Katoa has The founder of Fiji company Value City,
been named as CEO of Te Aponga Uira, the Alick Patrick Chute has died. Value City is best
government-owned utility responsible for known for its second-hand clothing outlets, and
the generation, distribution and retailing of was first established by Chute and Australian
electricity on Rarotonga. Katoa has been the businessman George Doonan in the 1990s. The
General Manager for Asiaciti Trust Group – Cook company also has franchises in a number of
Islands and Nevis Operations for over 12 years. Pacific islands. Henry Seaman Dan

Islands Business, January 2021 41