Accuity LLP and its founders establish $200,000 accounting faculty fellowship at Shidler College of Business

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Dolly Omiya, (808) 956-6902
Shidler College of Business
Margot Schrire, (808) 956-6774
UH Foundation
Posted: Oct 24, 2008

HONOLULU — The Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is proud to announce the establishment of the $200,000 Accuity LLP Accounting Faculty Fellowship Endowment. The Fellowship will enable the College to recruit and retain faculty of the highest caliber. Accuity and partners Kent Tsukamoto and his wife Jean, Wendell Lee and his wife Rae, and Dennis Tsuhako contributed to the $100,000 gift that was matched one-to-one through Shidler‘s Matching Gift Program, totaling $200,000.

Accuity managing partner Kent Tsukamoto said, "As a proud graduate of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, I am thrilled by this opportunity for Accuity to help shape the future of the Shidler College of Business, and ultimately, the accounting profession. The Accuity LLP Accounting Faculty Fellowship Endowment will provide the needed resources for talented faculty to pursue enhanced opportunities in learning, research and teaching."

"We are grateful to Accuity and its founders for this faculty fellowship endowment. It represents a long term commitment to support the College in our pursuit of educational excellence," said V. Vance Roley, dean of the Shidler College of Business. "In 2006, Accuity donated significantly toward the Donald A.
Corbin Distinguished Professorship. They continue to support the College on all levels—particularly with internships, career placement and alumni activities."

UH Mānoa Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw said, "Accuity LLP and its partners have shown a strong commitment to higher education with the establishment of the Accuity LLP Accounting Faculty Fellowship Endowment. Corporate support is critical in recruiting and retaining the best scholars and professors for our students and enhancing the College‘s ability to develop a competent workforce to face the tough economic challenges ahead."

Originally established as Baker & Gillette in 1951, Accuity LLP is one of the largest public accounting firms in Hawaiʻi with worldwide experience and expertise. Although its name has changed several times over the years, Accuity LLP provides clients with the same level of quality, dedication and professional services that have characterized their organization for decades. Kent Tsukamoto, Dennis Tsuhako and Wendell Lee formed the company to acquire the local practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2006.

Managing Partner Kent K. Tsukamoto joined Accuity‘s predecessor Coopers & Lybrand in 1978 and is a licensed CPA in Hawaiʻi, California and Guam. His clients include individuals, partnerships, estates, trusts, corporations and nonprofit organizations. His practice includes technology companies, structuring complex business transactions, real estate investment and construction, nonprofit enterprises and estate
and personal financial planning. He received his BBA in accounting from the Shidler College of Business in 1978 and a master‘s degree in business taxation from the University of Southern California in 1986. He is currently a member of the Shidler College of Business Advisory Council.

Partner Dennis M. Tsuhako is Accuity‘s assurance practice leader. He was with Coopers & Lybrand and PricewaterhouseCoopers since 1968 and served as assurance partner since 1979. Tsuhako specializes in government, insurance, retail and real estate clients. His practice includes state and local government,
financial services, retail/wholesale, and Japan-based companies. He received his BBA in accounting from the Shidler College of Business in 1968 and is a licensed CPA in Hawaiʻi.

Partner Wendell K. Lee heads Accuity‘s tax practice. He was with Coopers & Lybrand and PricewaterhouseCoopers since 1989. Lee's clients include individuals, partnerships, estates, trusts, corporations, and nonprofit organizations. His practice includes privately owned companies, estate and gift, and trust tax planning. Lee also leads Accuity‘s High Technology Tax Services team. He received his BBA from the University of Southern California and his Masters of Taxation from the University of Denver School of Law. He is a licensed CPA in Hawaiʻi.


About the Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Established in 1949 as the College of Business Administration, the College was named in 2006 after alumnus Jay H. Shidler, founder and managing partner of The Shidler Group. The Shidler College of Business is renowned for its expertise in international management education and is consistently ranked
among the nation's top 25 graduate schools for international business by U.S. News & World Report.

Long recognized for its Asia-Pacific focus, the College is a professional school, offering a wide variety of degree, certificate and executive programs. The College places a strong emphasis on the development of management skills, entrepreneurship and the management of business information technology. The UH Shidler College of Business is the only graduate program in the State of Hawaiʻi accredited by AACSB
International. For more information, visit www.shidler.hawaii.edu.


About the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation

The University of Hawaiʻi Foundation is an independent, university-related, nonprofit organization whose purpose is to raise private funds according to priorities determined by the academic leadership of the University of Hawaiʻi and approved by the Board of Regents. Founded in 1955, the Foundation provides
a full range of fund raising and alumni relations services for all 10 UH campuses. For more information on the Foundation, visit www.uhf.hawaii.edu.

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