A letter from Corianne Lau and Zachary McNish of the Hawaii Institute of for Public Affairs to Hawaii Senate President Shan Tsutsui.

4. Eighth Annual February 24, 2011
Awards Dinner

5. Insights in Leadership
Hawaii Institute for Public Affairs Insights in Leadership are short vignettes on the views and opinions
Ho‘oulu Award Honorees on public leadership summarized from the discussions of seven very
2011 special leaders of Hawaii: Mark Dunkerley, J.N. Musto, Rose Tseng,
Keith Amemiya, Gavan Daws, Jim Ed Norman, Ramsey Pedersen and
BUSINESS
Governor George Ariyoshi. Insights in Leadership provides a snapshot
into their personal lives as they share their views on leadership,
Mark Dunkerley
mentoring, motivation, inspiration and success. These individuals were
President and Chief Executive Officer
Hawaiian Airlines honored on February 24, 2011 by the Hawaii Institute for Public Affairs
for their contributions and achievements in the field of public policy
LABOR
and public affairs. Each received the prestigious “Ho‘oulu Award”
J.N. Musto, Ph.D. which symbolizes their ability to inspire public leadership. Insights in
Executive Director
Leadership seeks to provide a sincere and genuine discussion on the
University of Hawaii Professional Assembly
essence of leadership as seen through the eyes of Hawaii’s very own.
GOVERNMENT
Rose Tseng, Ph.D.
Chancellor Emerita and Professor
Ho‘oulu Award
University of Hawaii– Hilo
The Hawaiian word “Ho‘oulu” means to grow, stir up, inspire and
COMMUNITY excite. It is an appropriate name for HIPA’s leadership award—
Keith Amemiya the Ho‘oulu Award—which seeks to celebrate the achievements of
Former Executive Director those men and women who have made a significant impact in the
Hawaii High School Athletic Association
public affairs and public policy arena. Ho‘oulu honorees exhibit
CULTURE & ARTS strong leadership, determination and devotion to excellence in their
MELE respective professions and occupations, and have made a positive
Music & Entertainment Learning Experience and community-wide impact. Be it in business, government, labor,
Co-founders: Gavan Daws, Jim Ed Norman, Ramsey Pedersen community, culture and the arts, or as a lifetime achievement award,
Ho‘oulu awardees inspire in themselves and others excellence and
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
commitment to make Hawaii a better place.
Governor George Ariyoshi

6. Mark Dunkerley Excellence in BUSINESS
Reaching you from anywhere to Hawaii. “No It is the combination of long-term
other major airline has a mission tied vision and day-to-day execution
New Heights to a destination,” he explained. “Ours that has Hawaiian well positioned
W hen you watch the grace is to continue to provide the inter- for a new era of growth into interna-
and breath-stopping island service on which our State’s tional markets.
maneuvers of aerobatics, economy and way of life depends
Dunkerley is quick to emphasize
you can’t help but marvel at the while we open up new markets to
that the company’s exceptional
pilot’s skill and nerves of steel. It is bring more visitors to the islands.”
performance would not have been
a demonstration of controlled risk in Under his watch, the airline focuses possible without its employees. The
the extreme. Small wonder that this tirelessly on continuous improvement – sentiment may sound predictable but
is Mark Dunkerley’s favorite form a discipline that has consistently is genuine. “I’m privileged to work
of recreation. He is the man who earned Hawaiian top marks in its alongside these terrific employees
brought Hawaiian Airlines out of industry for on-time performance, who, every day, deliver the best, most
bankruptcy six years ago, and has service quality, and the gold stan- reliable and friendly service to the
since built the business into one of dard: profitability. eight million customers who fly with
the world’s most successful airlines us every year.”
almost tripling its size and main- And while other airlines were drop-
taining its profitability — a feat few ping routes and cutting schedules, One small way the company shows
airlines have matched. And he did it Hawaiian added new routes to the its appreciation is to take employees
in the midst of a deep recession. West Coast, the South Pacific and up for rides in its 81-year-old
Asia – the most recent to Seoul, Bellanca Pacemaker, the original
While the risks were less visually Korea. To accommodate this growth, aircraft that started Hawaiian in 1929.
exciting than aerial maneuvers, they the company has committed to the He often pilots the plane. But perhaps
were no less real on the ground. delivery of $7 billion in new state-of- more telling is the company’s support
“In aerobatics, you need a clear vision the-art wide-body aircraft – thought for the community. “The commu-
of what you want to achieve, and to be the largest private sector invest- nity is our raison d’etre,” Dunkerley
then you work hard and diligently to ment in Hawaii infrastructure in said. “And our employees reflect the
make the improvements to get there,” history and a calculated move that community, so we’re proud of the
he said. “It’s the same with running started several years earlier as part fact that we are a major corporate
the airline.” of the company’s plan to grow new supporter of local charities.”
markets for Hawaii.
His vision was crystal clear. Unlike As for Mark Dunkerley, he’s still
other airlines, who promise to take “As routes opened up, we needed to reaching for new heights at Hawaiian,
you from anywhere to anywhere, be ready to bid for them,” he said. enjoying the challenges and competi-
Hawaiian’s sole mission is to take tion of the industry he loves.

7. J.N. Musto, Ph.D. Excellence in LABOR
The Balancing Act blind society, and were working to
integrate public accommodations.
society to work. He took the job with
the intention of giving it five years.
I t was not just the talk on
“Collective Bargaining in
Higher Education” at the City
University of New York that got the
attention of University of Hawaii
But the riots polarized the community
and the dream died.
Musto had his own personal dream
of becoming a minister and had his
Thirty years later, Musto is still the
chief negotiator for UHPA, whose
membership includes the faculties of
seven community colleges, UH-Hilo,
UH-Manoa, and UH-West Oahu.
sights set on Yale Divinity School.
faculty members in attendance. It
However, his pastor intervened. “We Musto sees UHPA’s role as saving
was the speaker J.N. Musto. He obvi-
don’t need more ministers. We need higher education from becoming
ously knew his subject, not just in
parishioners like you who don’t totally politicized, by itself becoming
theory, but also in practice. At the
just profess their faith but act on politically active and using collec-
time, he was executive director and
it,” he told the young Musto. So tive bargaining as a tool. He cites his
chief negotiator for the faculties of
he changed course. He went on to favorite definition of higher education
Central Michigan University and
get a multi-disciplinary Ph.D. in by former UH President Al Simone’s.
Ferris State University. The University
law, education and business at the “Simone said higher education is ‘of
of Hawaii Professional Assembly
University of Michigan, and wrote the faculty, by the administration, for
(UHPA) was sorely in need of a
his thesis on “The impact of Title VII the students.’ Our job is to balance
knowledgeable, seasoned negotiator.
of the 1964 Civil Rights Act on Public what this means for the faculty in
In 1971, Hawaii’s public employees
Employment.” He had not lost his the overall equation, and at the
had won the right to bargain, and by
dream. He simply shifted his focus to same time do everything we can to
1974, of the 13 collective bargaining
higher education, which he believes preserve the academic governance of
units, UHPA was the only one
is the best way to achieve economic the university.”
without a negotiated contract. After
and social advancement for all people
unsuccessfully trying it on their own,
– not just a select few. Enter UHPA
they believed Musto was the man for
with a job offer.
the job.
At first, he turned them down, but
Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan,
became intrigued with Hawaii’s
Musto learned first hand about the
unified educational system and
fight for economic and social parity.
loved the idea of Hawaii not being a
He lived through the race riots that
race-based culture. The state’s lack
wracked the city during the 1960s.
of majority groups and its extreme
Before that time, teenagers in his
isolation in the middle of the Pacific
church and fellow teens at black
meant that people had to learn
churches had a dream of a color-
to make accommodations for the

8. Rose Tseng, Ph.D. Excellence in GOVERNMENT
The Tseng Legacy If she sounds like an idealist, she is. Her sphere of influence extended to
Y
But she also is a realist. the community, where she worked
ou can never use too many with community partners to build
“I want to make things better for our
superlatives to describe or expand resources like UH Hilo’s
diverse community, better for people,
Rose Y. Tseng, Ph.D., who University Park of Science and
that’s what drives me” she explained.
took a small, virtually unknown Technology. She founded the Office of
“The best way to do that is to build
liberal arts college on the island of Mauna Kea Management in large part
teams and motivate others to work on
Hawai‘i and turned it into a compre- to manage and protect the precious
a common vision to improve life for
hensive, internationally-recognized resources of the mountain as new
everyone. That’s what I love doing.”
university with nearly double the astronomy facilities are built such as
student body as when she started. She comes by this ethos naturally. the Thirty Meter Telescope now in the
She was born in Northern China to design stage at $1.2 billion.
Tseng was chancellor at the
parents who were trained doctors.
University of Hawai‘i at Hilo from She also founded UH Hilo’s ‘Imiloa
1998 to 2010, and was the first Asian “We were poor, but my mom would Astronomy Center of Hawai‘i to inspire
American woman to lead a four-year see poor patients, often charging young minds to explore science. She
university in the country. them nothing,” she said. “My parents used her connections with NASA, the
worked hard, always treating people National Science Foundation, the
Before that, her career spanned 23
with kindness and compassion, and National Institutes of Health, and
years at San Jose State University in
that made a big impression that stays the US Department of Agriculture to
California, where she rose through the
with me today.” bring in faculty research grants. Under
ranks as professor, founding chair of
her leadership, UH Hilo became an
the Department of Nutrition and Food With two years education in engineer-
economic engine, with direct and indi-
Science, and dean of the College of ing, degrees in chemistry and nutritional
rect impacts exceeding $240 million
Applied Sciences and Arts. Just before sciences, and minors in biochem-
and 4,000 jobs.
coming to Hilo, she spent five years istry and physiology, Tseng had the
as chancellor of the 24,000-student academic credentials to guide UH Hilo So what’s ahead for Tseng? Post chan-
West Valley-Mission Community to new levels of excellence. UH Hilo cellorship, she’s incredibly passionate
College District in Silicon Valley. developed accredited programs in about leadership development, espe-
teacher education, nursing, business, cially for women and minorities, and
So, why UH Hilo?
and Hawaiian language; six master’s she is involved in science, technology
“I saw Hilo as the ideal place to programs in fields that target the and energy initiatives.
develop a multi-cultural model for state’s social, economic and cultural
We have not heard the last of
uniting the world through education, issues; and doctorates in Hawaiian
Rose Tseng.
culture and technology,” she said in a and indigenous language and culture,
recent interview. and in pharmacology.

9. Keith Amemiya Excellence in COMMUNITY
Saving Sports myself, I love sports and know that Of course, the big kahuna of local
I
it’s just as important for the non- sports – football – is where Amemiya
f his career path had followed its superstar athletes,” said Amemiya, stirred things up. He shelved the old
expected course, Keith Amemiya who ran cross country and track at practice of naming the winner of the
would still be practicing commer- Punahou School. “I also knew how Oahu Prep Bowl the state champion,
cial litigation. Fresh out of the important high school sports is to and replaced it with a true Statewide
University of Hawaii law school, he the entire state, and I felt it would be Football Championship playoff
launched his career in 1991, spending a great way to get involved and help involving football schools from across
the next seven years building a our youth.” the state.
successful practice and earning a nice
income. So, what was he thinking He quickly discovered the extent Perhaps Amemiya’s most high profile
by giving it all up to take over the of the challenge. “Working for the win was the very successful 2009
leadership of the Hawaii High School HHSAA really opened my eyes to “Save Our Sports Fund” campaign,
Athletic Association (HHSAA), the how much our high school athletic when a state budget crunch threat-
state’s governing body for high school programs needed in terms of ened to shut down public high school
sports? It was a move that surprised upgraded facilities and team funding,” athletics. He issued a plea to the busi-
his friends and colleagues, especially he said. ness and general community and in
since he wasn’t a star athlete, nor did record time raised nearly $1.5 million
Amemiya wanted to expand athletic
he know much about athletic adminis- to cover the expected shortfall. It
competition to include more than the
tration. Even more puzzling, he would was a truly amazing testament to the
perennial favorites, and to diversify
be taking a substantial pay cut. regard he enjoys in the state.
opportunities for athletes of both
To complicate matters, the HHSAA, genders across the state – meaning Amemiya has since hung up his
which serves 95 public and private the neighbor islands. Today, there sports cap, and moved on to the
high schools and over 33,000 student- are 42 annual state championships University of Hawaii Board of
athletes statewide, had just become that include such lower profile sports Regents as its new executive adminis-
autonomous from the Department of as air riflery, bowling, cheerleading, trator and secretary. Who could have
Education, which meant that Amemiya judo, wrestling, swimming and diving, predicted that? He explained,
would now be responsible for signifi- golf, tennis, and water polo. There’s “I was fortunate to have the opportu-
cant fundraising. Perhaps you could also a second classification (Division nity to join UH’s leadership team to
blame the move on youthful optimism II) for smaller schools. Under help them move our state’s higher
– he was just 32 years old at the time. Amemiya’s leadership, Hawaii holds education initiatives forward for the
the distinction of having the most benefit of hopefully many generations
“The truth is, I was intrigued because, high school championships of any to come.”
even though I’m not a star athlete state in the country.

10. MELE Excellence in CULTURE & ARTS
They took the idea to Pedersen, who “There are some fifty career paths in
embraced it. This was the genesis music and entertainment, creatively,
of MELE, a music business program technologically, and on the busi-
based at Honolulu Community ness side,“ said Pedersen. “Through
College (HCC). MELE, graduates will learn how to
create exciting music that is globally
MELE – Music and Entertainment
marketable.”
Learning Experience is modeled
on a Nashville program at Belmont MELE has received $1.2m in federal
University’s Mike Curb College of stimulus money, plus support from
Entertainment and Music Business, the Hawaii state Department of
a nationally ranked industry school, Business, Economic Development
The business of Pictured above (l to r): Gavan Daws,
Jim Ed Norman and Ramsey Pedersen with which Norman is connected. and Tourism, and close to half a
music in Hawaii “Nashville – ‘Music City’ – has been
million dollars in private donations,
W
local and national.
ho could ever forget the former chancellor of Honolulu a magnet to countless thousands of
simple ukelele chords Community College, and Hawaii creative people for decades,” said Already MELE has been actively
accompanying the sweet author Gavan Daws. Norman, noting that music is worth working to shepherd music from
sounds of Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo‘ole more to Nashville than tourism is Hawaii onto the global enter-
Daws was writing a history of Elektra
singing his version of “Over the worth to Hawaii. “MELE can help to tainment scene. It is helping to
Records, a division of Warner Music
Rainbow”? So global is its appeal that bring these two communities together choose soundtrack music for “The
Group, when he and Norman met.
it has been featured worldwide in and create new businesses in Hawaii Descendants,” the upcoming
To them, the IZ phenomenon has
soundtracks for films, television shows for generations to come.” Hollywood feature film shot here,
broader implications for Hawaii.
and commercials. Seventeen years starring George Clooney, directed by
Through Norman and Pedersen, MELE
after its release, the recording still has Simply put: with the technology of Oscar winner Alexander Payne, and
established a working relationship
appeal, climbing to number one for the 21st-century music industry, music based on a novel by Hawaii’s Kaui
with Belmont, which provides curric-
nine straight weeks on the German from anywhere can go anywhere– Hart Hemmings.
ulum to HCC via live interactive video,
singles charts in 2010. It speaks to including music from Hawaii.
with instructors from both institutions “This is a natural for MELE,” said
the universality of IZ’s music, which,
Norman and Daws knew that for the team-teaching the courses. Daws. “Local base, global reach – it’s
while steeped in Hawaiian culture,
local industry to thrive globally, it an example of how the program can
“has the power to cross boundaries MELE now has 81 students pursuing
must focus on the business of music. help generate export-quality music
of language, geography and musical AA degrees in music business and
It must develop a more robust infra- that can have an impact in the world
genres.” (Mountain Apple Co.) audio engineering, with access to
structure and support enterprises entertainment industry, to the benefit
state-of-the-art recording technology
Enter three men — Jim Ed Norman, to make music from Hawaii more of Hawaii.”
at the new Mike Curb MELE Studios
former president of Warner Bros successful and marketable worldwide –
at HCC.
Records Nashville; Ramsey Pedersen, to Hawaii’s benefit.

11. Governor George Ariyoshi LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Our Young: His who was also the first Asian American
governor in the entire nation.
to be sustained with discussion in our
schools, in government, in business
Hope for the Future and in our community.”
G
His governing style became known
eorge R. Ariyoshi never as “quiet but effective” – the emphasis His latest book, “Hawaii: The Past
dreamed of being a politi- on “effective.” For example, a fiscally Fifty Years • The Next Fifty Years” has
cian, much less governor of conservative Ariyoshi successfully resulted in many requests to speak to
the state of Hawaii. He just wanted to guided the state through its first school students across the state. “The
practice law. But in the early 1950s, a economic recession and with prudent future is theirs. So I dialog with them
question from Governor John Burns fiscal policies, avoided a budget deficit. and encourage them to participate
would change that. What, he asked The state never experienced a short- in the process,” he said. “I’ve been
the young Ariyoshi, was the biggest fall during his administration. impressed with their energy and the
issue facing Hawaii? Ariyoshi’s freshness of their ideas. They give me
answer: Fairness. “In the good times, we should be
great hope for Hawaii’s future.”
looking ahead and change our
Power was concentrated in the spending patterns so that we can He bemoans the low voter turnouts of
hands of the Big Five, which meant weather the down times,” he said. recent years. A very small segment of
that opportunities were non-existent the state’s population is making deci-
for those outside the power struc- Another pressing issue for the
sions for everyone – a strange reversal
ture. Burns, who knew that change governor was Hawaii’s rapid popula-
of the fairness he fought for. Now
would have to come through political tion growth and what he saw as long-
when all people have the right and
action, encouraged him to run for term impacts of uncontrolled growth
the opportunity to have a say in their
office. So he did, and a long political on quality of life and the environment.
future, they have defaulted through
career began in 1954 when he was This was the basis for Ariyoshi’s
apathy. His hope is that young people
elected to the territorial House of Hawaii State Plan – what he calls “the
will change this.
Representatives. We know the people’s plan,” because it enlisted
rest: Ariyoshi eventually became ordinary citizens in developing 12 “Our hope for the future is our young
Governor Burns’ lieutenant governor functional plans for managing growth, people, and HIPA can help to get them
in 1970, succeeded an ill Burns in and for sustainable uses of our engaged in shaping their destiny.”
1973 as acting governor, was elected natural resources.
governor in his own right in 1974, “It was important to get people
and went on to serve three terms. involved in thinking about their
“It was Governor Burns’ hope to see preferred future. A plan is a guidepost
the first Hawaii-born, non-white and minor shifts may be necessary
governor for the state,” said Ariyoshi, along the way, but we know where
we want to end up. These efforts need

12. Hawaii Institute for
Public Affairs
Ho‘oulu Award Honorees
2004–2010
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Hawaii Institute for U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye
Senator Nadao Yoshinaga
Public Affairs
BUSINESS
The Hawaii Institute for Public H. Mitchell D’Olier
Affairs generates and communicates Michael J. Fisch
Alan M. Oshima
new knowledge and original Donald G. Horner
research to improve the quality of Dean J. Okimoto
life in our islands. By creating an Dr. Virginia M. Pressler
informed atmosphere for policy- GOVERNMENT
makers and community leaders, Randolph G. Moore
we provide tools and opportunities Jennifer Goto Sabas
to strengthen Hawaii’s public Honorable Haunani Apoliona
Honorable Micah A. Kane
decision-making process. Maurice H. Kaya
Mayor Harry Kim
We are Hawaii’s first independent
and nonpartisan public policy LABOR
institute. We are founded on a Ah Quon McElrath
Joan Lee Husted
philosophy of community collabo- Randolph P. Perreira
ration, fact-based research and Ted T. Tsukiyama
issues education. Our tools include Ronald I. Taketa
convening small- and large-scale Russell K. Okata
community conversations, surveying COMMUNITY
stakeholders and industry leaders, Kelvin H. Taketa
providing sound research and David M. Nakada
Lynn C.Z. Maunakea
data, gathering public input, and Carol H. McNamee
communicating through the media, Timothy E. Johns
Internet and additional channels. Henry B. Clark
CULTURE & ARTS
Hawaii Institute for Public Affairs Chris Lee
1003 Bishop Street, Suite 765 Lee Cataluna
Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96813 Samuel and Mary Cooke
Phone: 808-585-7931 Fax: 808-585-7932 Tom Coffman
www.hipaonline.com L. Candy Suiso
William M. Kaneko Eric E. Chock
President & CEO Darrell H.Y. Lum