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University of Hawai'i |
(808) 956-8856 Telephone |
For Immediate Release: |
July 20, 2000 |
Contact: Jim Manke - University and Community Relations 956-6106 David Iha - Office of the Board of Regents 956-8213
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Charles K. Kawakami Begins Term as University Regent Board Commends Outgoing Kaua`i Regent Clyde Kodani |
It was Governor John Waihee who appointed Clyde Kodani to the UH Board of Regents in 1993, and Kenneth P. Mortimer had just moved into Bachman Hall as president of UH when the Kaua`i engineer officially took his seat on the board.
"These years on the board, Kodani says, "have been a humbling experience, and a really good experience. I know I walk away a better man than when I came here, he noted in his farewell remarks to fellow regents at the board's meeting last month at UH Hilo.
The Board adopted a resolution of congratulations and gratitude at that meeting, Kodani's last as his term expired June 30. Kodani replied he was thankful for the opportunity to serve.
"As I leave, I feel pretty good, because I think we are in good hands. I believe we are all striving for the same goal, perhaps taking different paths, but reaching for the same goal. And, he added, "I believe we'll reach that goal if we continue to communicate and work together.
During his tenure, Kodani served as a chair or member of virtually every one of the board's committees and for the last two years he was vice chair of the board. In private life, he heads the civil engineering consultant firm, Kodani & Associates. He is president of the Kaua`i Society of Professional Engineers, Architects and Land Surveyors (KSPEALS), and has served or serves on many community related boards and organizations.
Like his predecessor, new Kaua`i regent Charles K. Kawakami begins his tenure on the board at a time of transition for the university.
"The most pressing issue for us in the coming year will be to find a successor to President Mortimer, Kawakami said. "We need someone who can move the university forward, and this may not be an easy job.
Kawakami is a businessman who earned a degree in business administration at the University of Southern California. He is president of Big Save, Inc., and past chair for the Hawai`i Food Industry Association. The Association supports athletic scholarships at UH Manoa through its well-known Rainbow Fever campaign. He also indicated he's been "somewhat involved with Kaua`i Community College as a member of the Kaua`i Private Industry Council."
"When Governor Cayetano spoke with me about this appointment to the board, Kawakami said, "he made it very clear that he thought my experience as a businessman would be valuable along with the expertise that other board members bring to the table. I think a business background is important when we are looking at running the institution efficiently with limited resources. I'd like to think that I would bring a common sense approach to issues the board deals with, and I hope that I can make a positive contribution."
Kawakami has followed media coverage of the issues brought to the board in the last few years. "I think the other pressing issue we'll need to face is resolving the debate on tuition. I think it's only reasonable that students understand they need to share in the cost of their education. As a businessman I know that higher prices whether it's for goods in a market or for a college education is a tough issue to address. But, he added, "this is something I go through every day. If we're going to move the university forward, it's important that students understand this is a shared responsibility. Hopefully, we'll be able to come to some resolution that will be equitable."
Better times seem to be ahead, Kawakami adds, noting that the state's economy is picking up steam. "There seems to be some light out there, and just as the university has shared in cuts to the state budget, I'd like to think that we would get our share of whatever additional revenues are available. The University is vital to the state and we need the support."
