Shidler College of Business announces its 2014 Hall of Honor inductees

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Dolly Omiya, (808) 956-5645
Public Information Officer, College of Business-External Relations Office
Posted: Sep 22, 2014

Roland Casamina
Roland Casamina
Curtis Freeze
Curtis Freeze
James Lee
James Lee
Gina Mangieri
Gina Mangieri
David McClain
David McClain

Five distinguished individuals will be recognized at the UHM Shidler College of Business Hall of Honor Awards on Tuesday, September 30, 2014, at the Sheraton Waikiki. These individuals were selected for their outstanding contributions to their profession, community and to the Shidler College of Business.
 
The honorees are:

Roland Casamina, BBA 1976, President & CEO of House of Finance Inc. 
Casamina established House of Finance Inc. in 1995. Under his leadership as president and CEO, the company prospered and was recognized by Pacific Business News as one of the top 20 largest residential lenders in Hawai‘i for the past five years. Casamina is well respected for his community service and educational support. In the early nineties, he played a significant role in the building of the Filipino Community Center in Waipahu and was chosen as its first president. In 2008, Casamina received the coveted "Man of the Year" award by the Hawaii Jaycees for his community service work. He also established a $50,000 endowed scholarship for undergraduate business students at the Shidler College of Business in 2012.  Casamina received his BBA from the Shidler College of Business in 1976.

Curtis Freeze, MBA 1987, CEO of Prospect Asset Management Inc.
Freeze is the founder and director of Prospect Co. Ltd. and Prospect Asset Management, Hawai‘i-based investment firms with locations in Tokyo since 1994. Freeze also serves as the chief investment officer to Prospect’s funds and managed accounts and is president of the listed entity GRO-BELS Co. Ltd. His firms are widely respected for their ability to find companies with long-term capital growth for Japanese investors.  For many years, Freeze has hosted a number of alumni gathering in Tokyo for the Shidler College of Business. In 2005, he supported the College’s Internship and Career Development Office through a $100,000 matching gift campaign. Freeze received his BA degree in economics from the University of Utah in 1984 and his MBA from the Shidler College of Business in 1987.

James Lee, BBA 1978, CEO of KB Lee Corporation and UH Regent Emeritus.
Lee is a partner in the Honolulu law firm of Devens, Lo, Youth, Nakano, Saito, Lee & Wong and the CEO of KB Lee Corporation, a family holding company that owns Hee Hing Restaurant. Lee is also the managing director of Hoku Brewing Company LLC.  Lee is highly regarded for his community service and has served on numerous boards. He served on the UH Board of Regents from 2009-2014, including vice chair last year. He was also board chair of the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Foundation Inc., director of the Boy’s Scout of America, chair of the Iolani School Family Fair and vice chair of the Research Corporation of UH.  Lee received his BBA in accounting from the Shidler College of Business in 1978, and a JD from UH Mānoa's William S. Richardson School of Law in 1981.

Gina Mangieri, EMBA 2002, KHON reporter and founder of The Cole Academy.
Mangieri is an investigative reporter for KHON2 and the founder of The Cole Academy preschools.  A journalist by trade, Mangieri worked in print and broadcast news in New York, London, Chicago and Washington, D.C. She moved to Hawai‘i in 1999 to serve as editor of Pacific Business News.  In 2004, she established The Cole Academy preschools. Today, she oversees five locations—downtown Honolulu, Kaimuki, Kapolei, Kailua and Kunia, with a sixth location coming soon to Mililani.  Mangieri received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from Northwestern University and EMBA from the Shidler College of Business in 2002.

David McClain, Professor & President Emeritus University of Hawai‘i
McClain is president emeritus of the University of Hawai‘i, where he has been a tenured professor of finance at the Shidler College of Business since 1991. He led the 10-campus UH System from 2004-2009, and served as UH vice president for academic affairs during 2003-2004. He was dean of the UH Mānoa College of Business from 2000-2003.  Prior to joining UH, McClain was a tenured faculty member at Boston University. He also served as senior staff economist on the Council of Economic Advisers to President Jimmy Carter and as head of global economic information services for Data Resources Inc.  McClain received his BA in economics and mathematics from the University of Kansas in 1968, and a PhD in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1974.  He served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army in Vietnam.

Said Shidler College of Dean Vancy Roley, "For over two decades, the Shidler College of Business Hall of Honor has been recognizing distinguished Shidler alumni and friends from Hawai‘i and around the world.  This year’s inductees are a remarkable group of well-respected community leaders and accomplished professionals in their field. They are excellent examples of the quality of our graduates and we look forward to honoring them at the Hall of Honor Awards.”

Shidler College of Business Hall of Honor Awards
DATE:  Tuesday, September 30, 2014
TIME:  5:30 - 9:00 p.m.
LOCATION:  Sheraton Waikiki
SPONSOR:  Hawaii Business Magazine
REGISTER::  www.shidler.hawaii.edu/hall-of-honor or call (808) 956-0323.

Funds to benefit the Shidler College of Business Alumni Association.

For more information, visit: http://shidler.hawaii.edu/