Hawaiian Telcom Names Eric Yeaman President and Chief Executive Officer and Member...

Hawaiian Telcom Names Eric Yeaman President and Chief Executive Officer and Member of the Board of Directors

Walter A. Dods, Jr. named Chairman of the Board of Directors

Robert F. Reich named Chief Financial Officer

Alan M. Oshima appointed Senior Advisor and Member of the Board of
Directors
HONOLULU--(Business Wire)--
Hawaiian Telcom Communications, Inc. (Hawaiian Telcom) announced
today that Eric K. Yeaman has been named President and Chief Executive
Officer of the company, succeeding Stephen F. Cooper. Mr. Yeaman has
also been appointed to the Board of Directors. Walter A. Dods, Jr.,
who has served on the Board since May 2005, has been named
non-executive Chairman of the Board, succeeding Daniel F. Akerson. In
addition, Robert F. Reich, who has served as interim Chief Financial
Officer since March 7, 2008, has been appointed the company's Chief
Financial Officer. Hawaiian Telcom also announced that Alan M. Oshima
has transitioned from his position as Senior Vice President and
General Counsel to Senior Advisor to the company and a member of the
Board.

Mr. Yeaman joins Hawaiian Telcom from Hawaiian Electric Company,
Inc. (HECO), where he served as Senior Executive Vice President and
Chief Operating Officer, responsible for the day-to-day leadership of
the Oahu operations, energy solutions, public affairs, financial and
administrative process areas. Prior to that, Mr. Yeaman was the Chief
Financial Officer of Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. (HEI), HECO's
parent company. Mr. Yeaman was Chief Operating Officer and Chief
Financial Officer for Kamehameha Schools prior to joining HEI. Mr.
Yeaman began his career at Arthur Andersen LLP in its Honolulu office.

Mr. Yeaman serves as a director of several boards including Bishop
Holdings Corporation, Kamehameha Investment Corporation and Pauahi
Management Corporation (wholly owned subsidiaries of Kamehameha
Schools). He is an active member of local community organizations,
serving on numerous boards including the Queen's Health Systems,
Hawaii Community Foundation, The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii and
Hawaii Pacific University.

In 2004, Mr. Yeaman was the Financial Executive of the Year
(Regional Award) sponsored by Robert Half International Inc. and the
Institute of Management Accountants as well as one of Pacific Business
News Top Forty Under 40.

Mr. Yeaman earned his bachelor of business administration degree
in accounting from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and is a
certified public accountant in the State of Hawaii.

"We are delighted to welcome Eric to Hawaiian Telcom," said James
A. Attwood, Jr., Global Head of the Telecommunications and Media Group
at The Carlyle Group and board member of the company. "Eric's local
knowledge and proven leadership and management skills will be great
assets to the company as we continue to focus on customer service and
operations."

Mr. Attwood added, "We are grateful to Steve Cooper for his
leadership of Hawaiian Telcom over the past several months and
appreciate his commitment to ensuring a smooth transition."

"I am pleased and honored to have the opportunity to lead Hawaiian
Telcom," said Mr. Yeaman. "I look forward to working with Hawaiian
Telcom's exceptional employees and Board of Directors on the next
chapter of the Company's history."

The company also announced that Walter A. Dods, Jr. will succeed
Daniel F. Akerson as Chairman of the Board. Mr. Dods currently serves
as the Chairman of the Board of First Hawaiian Bank as well as on the
boards of the following Hawaii businesses: Alexander & Baldwin, Inc.,
and subsidiary Matson Navigation Company, Inc.; First Insurance
Company of Hawaii, Ltd.; Grace Pacific Corporation; Maui Land &
Pineapple Company, Inc.; Pacific Guardian Life Insurance Co., Ltd.;
and Servco Pacific, Inc.

"Walter has played a key role in counseling the board for the past
three years and we are thrilled that he has agreed to expand his role
with the company," said Mr. Attwood.

"I look forward to increasing my level of involvement at Hawaiian
Telcom," said Mr. Dods, "and welcome the opportunity to work with Eric
to grow the business so that Hawaiian Telcom remains the state's
premier telecommunications company."

Mr. Attwood added, "We thank Dan Akerson for his dedicated service
to Hawaiian Telcom for the past three years."

The company also announced that Robert F. Reich, interim Chief
Financial Officer for the company, has been named Hawaiian Telcom's
Chief Financial Officer. "Bob has done a tremendous job guiding the
financial organization for the past two months and we are delighted
that he will assume this leadership role on a permanent basis," said
Mr. Attwood.

Mr. Reich joined the company in April 2007 as Vice President and
Controller. Prior to joining Hawaiian Telcom, Mr. Reich was Vice
President, Controller and Treasurer for McLeodUSA, a facilities-based
competitive local exchange carrier in the Western and Midwestern
United States.

Hawaiian Telcom also announced that Alan M. Oshima, currently the
company's general counsel, will become a Senior Advisor to the company
and join the Board. "Alan's contributions to HT over the past three
years have been remarkable. We are delighted that Alan has agreed to
continue his tenure with the company as a Senior Advisor and member of
the Board," said Mr. Attwood.

Hawaiian Telcom today also announced that Mr. Attwood has been
named a Vice Chairman of the Board and Chairman of the Executive
Committee. Stephen C. Gray retains his role as a Vice Chairman of the
Board.

About Hawaiian Telcom

Hawaiian Telcom is the state's leading telecommunications
provider, offering a wide spectrum of telecommunications products and
services, which include local and long distance service, high-speed
Internet and wireless services.

Hawaiian Telcom Communications, Inc.
Brian Tanner, 808-546-3442
Investor Relations
or
Joel Matsunaga, 808-546-3877
Media Relations

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