By Gerardo R. Partido
Variety News Staff

THE 24th annual Guam Business Executive of the Year gala will take place at 6 p.m. this Saturday at the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa.
This year, there are 12 nominees vying for the title. They are John Z. Arroyo, president and chief executive officer of the Government of Guam Employees Federal Credit Union; Brian K. Artero, president and owner of Pacific Dining LLC, which does business as Lone Star Steakhouse and Saloon; Gerard A. Cruz, president and chief executive officer of Community First Federal Credit Union; Laura-Lynn V. Dacanay, senior vice president and Guam/CNMI region manager for First Hawaiian Bank; Ruben Mario A. Domingo, president of Shell Guam Inc.; Ho S. Eun, vice president and chief executive officer of Core Tech International; Arnold C. Jose, chief executive officer and principal broker of Jose Realty; Byung Kyu “B.K.” Park, vice president and general manager of the Saipan World Resort; Augusto T. Sablan Jr., managing partner and senior vice president of business development at TakeCare Insurance Co. Inc.; Ryan F. Torres, store manager of Macy’s Guam; Patrick M. Wolff, founder and executive director of Inafa’ Maolek; and Alfred C. Ysrael, founder and chairman of Tanota Partners.
The 24th Guam Business Executive of the Year will be hosted by Ray Gibson of K57and is themed, “Dancing with the Stars, Season II”—with an all-star cast, including Sen. Tina Muna Barnes; Chit Bathan of Core Tech International; Vicki Borja of RadioCom; Carina Fejerang of Salon Paradis; Pat Feore or Re-Max Diamond Realty; Marie Guerrero of Planet Hollywood; Mika Gibson of Archway Inc.; Judy Ho of Continental Airlines; Margaret Imaizumi of the Guam Visitors Bureau; Eduardo Ilao of the American Red Cross; and Grace Low of Lotus Inc.
Professional choreographer Alberto Dimarucut was flown in from Australia to choreograph the event. Dimarucut has competed in numerous international dance competitions and provided celebrity dance classes, including ones for the former first lady of the Philippines, Imelda Marcos.
Other entertainers include the Guam Territorial Band, featuring Natasha.
The first quarter 2007 issue of Guam Business, with the 2006 Executive of the Year on the cover, will be unveiled that evening.
The 2006 Executive of the Year will join 24 other leading members of the business community in Micronesia. They are Robert H. Jones, president and chief executive officer of Triple J Enterprises Inc., 1983; John M. Borlas, president of IT&E Overseas Inc., 1984; Philip J. Flores, president and chairman of BankPacific, 1985; Public Auditor Doris Flores Brooks, 1986; Mark V. Pangilinan, president of MVP Enterprises Inc., 1987; Allen A. Pickens, coordinator and training coordinator for Tax-Aide, 1988; T. Roy Sullivan (deceased), executive vice president of Jones & Guerrero, 1989; Kurt S. Moylan, president of Moylan’s Insurance Underwriters, 1990; Akira “Mike” Baba, president of Baba Corp., 1991; Paul M. Calvo, president and chairman of Calvo Enterprises Inc., 1992; Antoinette D. Sanford, president of the Sanford Technology Group, 1993; Kenneth T. Jones Jr., president of Jones & Guerrero, 1994; Edward M. Calvo (deceased), first vice president of Calvo Enterprises Inc., 1995; L. Carl Peterson, owner and president of Money Resources Inc., 1996; William R. Thompson, 1997; John K. Lee, former senior vice president and region manager of First Hawaiian Bank, 1998; Henry L. Schnabel (deceased), vice president and consultant to Calvo’s Insurance Underwriters Inc., 1999; Marian Aldan-Pierce, president of DFS Saipan, 2000; Manfred H. Pieper, general manager of Hilton Guam Resort & Spa, 2001; Thomas G. Ahillen, general manager of Matson Navigation Co., 2002; Juan T. Guerrero, president of Herman’s Modern Bakery Inc. and president of Juan T. Guerrero & Associates Inc., 2003; Joseph “Jerry” Kramer, chief executive officer of Pacific International Inc. and Joseph “Joey” Crisostomo, president and owner of Cars Plus and Cycles Plus, 2004; and David M. Sablan, president of the Century Group of Companies, 2005.
Tickets for the gala are available from the Guam chapter of the American Red Cross at (671) 472-6217.