• Naomi Hazelton-Giambrone
• Steve Kyono
• Kaye DeFranceaux Leonard
• Denise Yoshimori-Yamamoto
Naomi Hazelton-Giambrone
Naomi Hazelton-Giambrone, publisher of Pacific Edge Magazine has been granted the 2009 Small Business Journalist of the Year award by the U.S. Small Business Administration. She was awarded the title for both the state of Hawai‘i and the larger, highly competitive Region 9, which includes the states of California, Nevada, and Arizona. Winners statewide are to be recognized at an April 24th luncheon at the Hilton Hawaiian Village on O‘ahu.
Growing up on Kaua‘i, Naomi has always embraced the island lifestyle and was certainly determined to contribute and serve the community in a dynamic way. After three years of building Pacific Edge Magazine from the ground up and giving Hawaii’s small business owners visibility and a forum to share their stories and create relationships, she’s finally been recognized, not only on the state level, but on a national level.
Steve Kyono
Engineer Steve Kyono, who worked on and ultimately oversaw the Garden Isle’s state highway system for almost two decades, has joined planning and engineering consulting firm SSFM International, Inc., as Vice-President and manager of the company’s Kaua‘i office based in Lihu‘e. He will be responsible for managing the Kaua‘i office, serving as primary point-of-contact for clients and overseeing all Garden Isle SSFM construction projects.
Kyono served the State of Hawai‘i Department of Transportation Highways Division in various capacities from 1991 to 2009, including as a District Engineer and as Highways Division Administrator. He was responsible for developing and managing the division’s roadways on Kaua‘i. Prior to that he was President of The Keith Companies Hawai‘i, based in Kapa‘a, a planning, engineering and construction management business (1990-1991) and worked as County Engineer for the County of Kaua‘i’s Department of Public Works, helping to plan and design Kaua‘i’s Civic Center, sewage treatment facilities, public buildings and parks.
Kyono grew up and attended public schools on Kaua‘i. He is a 1975 graduate of Purdue University, Indiana, in Structural Engineering with a minor in Geotechnics. He is a licensed Professional Civil Engineer and Real Estate Broker with an inactive license. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the National Society of Professional Engineers, the Kaua‘i Society of Professional Engineers, Architects and Land Surveyors, and the American Waterworks Association.
Kaye DeFranceaux Leonard
Hundreds of families on Kauai know her as “Coach Kay,” the co-owner and one of the coaches at Kauai Gymnastics Academy. On April 1, Leonard added another title to her name — Realtor Associate — with Aloha Island Properties in Lihu‘e.
Leonard comes from a real estate and mortgage banking family. Her father, George DeFranceaux (1913-1997) was well-known and respected in the Washington, D.C. area. He was a past President of the Washington Board of Realtors, among other honors, and was appointed by President Johnson to be the first Chairman of the National Corporation for Housing Partnerships (now known as NHP), which provided private funding for low and middle income housing. Her uncle, George Moss, was the developer of the Springbrook area of Silver Spring, MD, and her brother Don and cousin Blaise are also in the business in Washington, D.C.
Leonard can be reached at 808-634-8697 or kay@alohaisland.com
Denise Yoshimori-Yamamoto
GYA Architects, Inc. principal and president Denise Yoshimori-Yamamoto, AIA, NCARB has attained LEED certification. As a nationally recognized Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design professional, Ms. Yoshimori-Yamamoto has demonstrated a comprehensive understanding of green construction practices and principles.
Ms. Yoshimori-Yamamoto has been a licensed architect in Nevada since 2000 and 2001 in Hawaii. She had practiced with RAFI Robert A. Fielden Inc. and Leo A. Daly, both in Nevada, before joining GYA in 2001.
