HPU appoints new trustees

Hawai‘i Pacific University officials voted in James Polk, Michele Saito and Stephanie Saito to the University’s Board of Trustees on Oct. 22.

James Polk is a senior executive vice president and manager at Bank of Hawaii in the Hawaii Commercial Banking Division. His experience includes numerous management positions with Bank of Hawaii, such as overseeing the bank’s Corporate Banking Division, Commercial Banking Centers, Dealer Commercial Services and its leasing company. Polk is also a member of the bank’s managing committee. Prior to Bank of Hawaii, he held numerous roles at First Hawaiian Bank, including media finance officer. In the community, he serves as a director for the Boy Scouts’ Aloha Council, After School All-Stars, and The Nature Conservancy.

Michele Saito is the president of Farmers Insurance Hawaii, Inc. She has 25 years of experience in the insurance industry and began her career with Farmers Insurance (formerly AIG Hawaii) as an accounting manager. Her accomplishments include improving operational efficiency and performance throughout the company, enforcing fiscal discipline, launching a new technology venture and leading the company through its recent purchase by Farmers Insurance. In the community, she serves on the boards of the Hawaii Property Insurance Association, UH Alumni Association, Aloha United Way, and Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce.

Stephanie Saito is the executive vice president of Bank of Hawaii. She has 37 years of experience in the banking industry, including working for Bank of Hawaii and Bank of America. She is responsible for building relationships with middle market companies and oversees a team that helps streamline financial operations, increase revenues and lower costs for customers. She serves on the oversight committee of the Rural Economic Transition Assistance Hawaii program, which is jointly managed by the U.S. Army Research Development and Engineering Command and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She served on the boards of the AAA Hawaii, St. Francis Community Health Services, Ewa Villages Community Development Corporation and Biosystems Technology Program.

Hawai‘i Pacific University is the state’s largest private university with more than 8,000 students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries. HPU is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the Council on Social Work Education, and the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission.