"Bridging the Gap Between HR and IT"

Panel Discussion featuring Panelists from Banking, Healthcare and Government

Gail Lerch
Sr. VP of Human Resources and Organizational Development at Hawaii Pacific Health
Gail holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Purdue University and MBA with a concentration Human Resource Management from Hawaii Pacific University.

Gail’s role with Hawaii Pacific Health is Executive Vice President and reports directly the CEO, Chuck Sted. Hawaii Pacific Health is one of the largest private employers in the state of Hawaii.  Hawaii Pacific Health is over 5,500 employees on three islands. There are four hospitals, 16 clinics and a corporate office of 400 employees.

She is responsible for system wide Human Resources strategy, planning and management  including: workforce development, recruitment, retention, employee benefits/compensation including executive compensation/benefits, employee wellness, employee/labor relations, union contract negotiations, worker’s compensation,  volunteer services and internal communications.  She also oversees system wide Organizational Effectiveness which entails: leadership development programs including succession planning, coaching and mentoring programs.  As a part of this division Gail also oversees the division of nursing education and staff development.  She has been through two mergers:  the merger of Pali Momi Medical Center with Kapiolani and than the merger of Kapiolani Health, Straub Clinic and Hospital and Wilcox Hospital to create Hawaii Pacific Health in December 2001.

Gail is active in community activities and currently serves on the board for Hospice Hawaii and the Nursing Capacity Taskforce for the nursing shortage.

Susan Thoemmes

Assistant Vice President, IT Strategic Applications Support Manager at Bank of Hawaii
Susan Thoemmes joined Bank of Hawaii 23 years ago as a Cooperative Education Student during her Junior year at Kamehameha High School.  She worked in Benefits and Compensation for 5 years until her junior year at the University of Hawaii, Manoa campus.  Upon earning her Bachelor’s degree in Business Management Information Systems, Susan returned to Bank of Hawaii in the Information Technology department as an Associate Analyst supporting the mainframe HR/Payroll Systems. 

Susan earned and continues to enjoy a progressive career at Bank of Hawaii – including an additional 3-1/2 years as an HRIS Specialist in the Human Resources department beginning in 1995.  When the Y2K projects started to surface, Susan was approached to return to the IT department as a Senior Analyst to upgrade the HR systems to the latest release.  

Marie Kumabe
Marie Kumabe is the Co-owner of Remedy Intelligent Staffing with Kristi Inkinen. She has extensive experience in management and human resources. Before assuming ownership of Remedy Intelligent Staffing, Marie served as Director of Internship and Career Development for the University of Hawaii School of Travel Industry Management. Her background also includes senior management positions with American Hawaii Cruises, Northwest Airlines and Continental Airlines. She holds a Master’s degree in Human Resource Management from HPU and a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from UCLA. She serves on various non-profit committees and continues to teach human resources on both the undergraduate and graduate level in nursing, business, and travel industry management with UH.  She has also been recently appointed to serve as Faculty Director for the University of Hawaii Shidler College of Business Executive Human Resource Management program. 

Kumabe is responsible for executive search and placement, screening, and recruitment.  She also oversees Remedy’s Professional Development Program.    Her experience and knowledge in human resources and employee development provide valuable career mentoring to the firm’s associates and professionals and customized services for employers, big and small.  Remedy has been recognized as one of Hawaii’s fastest growing business and numerous times as one of Hawaii’s leading women-owned companies.  Remedy is on the cutting edge of succession-planning for companies looking for talent that will allow organizations to take the next leap towards insuring future success. 

Location:  Plaza Club 20th Flr. Main Dining Room  - no parking validation so please park in nearby public lots Harbor Court at 55 Merchant St. or Chinese Cultural Plaza on Bethel St.

Menu:  Soup and Sandwich of the day and iced tea

RSVP Deadline:     July 6, 2009