KIUC Linemen All Geared Up - Kauai Island Utility Cooperative

On July 29, 2011, David Bissell, president and
CEO of Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative,
announced the promotion of Michael Yamane to
the role of chief of operations. In this position,
Yamane will be responsible for the areas of
transmission and distribution (T&D), production,
engineering, legislative and regulatory affairs and
safety.
Yamane began his career with the utility in
1989, when he was hired by KIUC predecessor,
Kaua‘i Electric as an associate engineer. Most
recently, held the position of engineering
manager. Under his leadership, the co­op
reinforced its move toward renewable energy
solutions.
David Bissell president and CEO of Kaua‘i Island
Utility Cooperativep, announced the promotion of
Karissa Jonas to the role of financial vice president
and chief financial officer. Jonas began her career
with the utility in 2005, when she was hired as the
co­op’s controller.
“I am honored to have been selected for the
CFO position, and look forward to contributing to
the strategic and financial success of KIUC,” said
Jonas, whose duties will include overall financial
management of the cooperative, along with
supervision of all accounting, financial and
warehouse personnel.
"Karissa has been a member of our
management team since her arrival at KIUC, and
her proven expertise in the fundamentals of utility
accounting, coupled with her expertise in the
management of financial assets and cash
management, makes us certain she is the right
individual to ensure KIUC’s continued financial
success,” said Bissell.
“Mike has been an influential
leader of our management team for
several years, and his vision and
execution of progressively increasing
responsibilities in engineering, T&D,
strategic planning and information
technology made this an easy
decision,” said Bissell.
Yamane earned his bachelor’s in
electrical engineering from the
University of Hawai‘i at Manoa and
is a licensed professional engineer.
He resides in Kapa‘a with wife
Valerie and sons Derek and Shawn.
By Anne Barnes
Yamane Named KIUC’s New
Chief of Operations
Jonas Named KIUC’s
Chief Financial Officer
Jonas began her career at Ernst &
Young LLP as an auditor, where she
earned her certified public
accounting credentials in California in
1992. Her career continued as an
assistant vice president at Foothill
Capital Corporation, a commercial
finance company providing assetbased
lending and money
management services to companies
in financial distress or in high­risk
industries.
After a five­year hiatus as a stay­athome
mom, she and her family
relocated to Kaua‘i, where she
worked as the controller at Aloha
Lumber Co., before joining the co­op.
Jonas earned her bachelor’s in business
administration, with a major in accounting and
finance, from the University of Arizona, where she
graduated summa cum laude in 1989. She resides
in Koloa with her husband Paul, son, Coleman 13,
and daughter Sierra, 11.
OCTOBER 2011 51