<p>HONOLULU – Karl Yoneshige, HawaiiUSA FCU's former executive vice president has been named the new president/CEO. Yoneshige, who started at HawaiiUSA in 1988 as loan administrator, worked his way up the ranks to a position that entailed all the duties of a traditional chief operating officer. Prior to his arrival, Yoneshige worked for more than a decade in banking and consumer lending. He credits those stints for providing a solid foundation to become a part of senior management. After Ron Ogata announced his retirement last year, the board of directors had plans to conduct an executive search but approached Yoneshige with intentions of naming him as the successor. Without hesitation, he graciously accepted the position. While he aims to continue forward with the board's strategic plan to remain well capitalized, Yoneshige said any adjustments will depend on the direction of the credit union and member demand. "One of the benefits of the being here for 13 years, is the continuity and being involved in every facet along the way," Ogata said. "It would be a different scenario if the credit union wasn't doing well or if someone from the outside was brought in." Because he's a HawaiiUSA veteran, Yoneshige said the transition period to president/CEO has been a relatively smooth one with mostly administrative changes. Ogata and Yoneshige have already taken steps to keep alliances in tact with community interests and organizations, specifically through the Hawaii Shared Branching Network CUSO. – [email protected]</p>