The Hawaii Bankers Association (HBA) is launching its sixth-annual food drive to benefit the Hawaii Foodbank, with food and monetary donations being accepted from April 15-May 31, 2013, at nearly 300 bank branches throughout the state.

All HBA members are participating in this year’s food drive, including: American Savings Bank, Bank of Hawaii, Bank of the Orient, Central Pacific Bank, Finance Factors, First Hawaiian Bank, Hawaii National Bank, HomeStreet Bank, Ohana Pacific Bank, Pacific Rim Bank and Territorial Savings Bank.

Hawaii National Bank is proud to announce four promotions:

Donn Mende has been promoted from assistant vice president and manager to vice president and manager at the Puainako Branch in Hilo. Mende has more than twenty years of finance experience, including investment and trust operations, and commercial banking. In his position, Mende will be responsible for business development on Hawaii Island, as well as consumer and commercial loan underwriting, and overseeing the branch’s operations.

Brian Kim has been promoted to assistant manager at the Kapiolani Branch. Kim joined the bank as a management trainee in 2010, and has since served as a loan assistant and loan officer. In his new position, Kim will be responsible for business development in Kakaako, Kapiolani and East Oahu.

HONOLULU - The Detroit-based Kresge Foundation has awarded $460,000 to Lamakū Na‘auao (Knowledge Torch), a new University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa program that will build the capacity of the Native Hawaiian community to participate in decision-making in critical environmental and social issues.

Participants in the Lamakū Na‘auao project will receive training and policy tools designed to help them contribute to decisions involving island food security, renewable energy research, cultural practices, and the impacts of climate change.

The project is spearheaded by Loli Aniau, Maka‘ala Aniau (LAMA), a new program housed within the Hawai'inuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge and the William S. Richardson School of Law.

The core idea is that the Hawaiian community has a deep reservoir of knowledge that can benefit not only its own members but also the larger community.