Recipient of the 2003 Willard Wilson Award for Distinguished Service to the Community

University of Hawaiʻi
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Posted: Jul 29, 2003


The University of Hawai'i has announced the recipient of the 2003 Willard Wilson Award for Distinguished Service to the Community. Named for the long-time UH employee and secretary to the Board of Regents who set a standard for exemplary service to the university, the award is presented this year to Wilfred Arakaki of Honolulu Community College.

Arakaki is the coordinator of the Apprenticeship and Journeyworker Training Program at Honolulu Community College. Although other coordinators preceded him, it is Arakaki's innovative leadership that nurtured the program through difficult times. He is recognized for his resourcefulness in working with representatives of business and industry that has contributed to the program evolving into a formidable workforce developer in Hawai‘i.

Arakaki is also recognized by his colleagues for his efforts to help others. For a Honolulu Community College fundraising event, he personally solicited and received large monetary donations from the college's business partners, and secured numerous items for a silent auction. The fundraiser was a tremendous success with a net profit of over $16,000.

Arakaki will be recognized for his contributions to the community along with other UH award winners at a system-wide ceremony in October.