Reorganization of UH System Complete with Personnel Appointments Approved by BOR

UH Board of Regents also approves appointment of Walter Jamieson as dean of the School of Travel Industry Management at UH Manoa

University of Hawaiʻi
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Posted: Jun 20, 2003

The University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents (BOR) at its monthly meeting held today approved appointments for two key positions in the reorganization of the University of Hawaiʻi system—vice president for academic affairs and chief of staff. These positions complete an organizational structure at the system level, which was approved by the BOR in December 2002, and has been designed to produce a seamless university system for all 10 campuses.

"The approval of these appointments by the Board of Regents is the final step in a two-year process to turn the university around 180 degrees," said Dobelle. "These individuals have the attitude, dedication and leadership skills to successfully implement our strategic plan and position UH as the world-class institution it has the potential to be. It is an extraordinary moment in UH history."

"It‘s a local dream team that now allows President Dobelle to do the job he needs to do," said UH Board of Regents Chairperson Bert A. Kobayashi.

The BOR approved the appointment of Dr. David McClain as vice president for academic affairs for the university system, effective July 1, 2003. McClain has been with the university since 1991, most recently serving as interim vice president for research, while also holding the position of dean of the UH Mānoa College of Business Administration and the First Hawaiian Bank Distinguished Professor of Management and Leadership. During his tenure as dean of the business school, the international business program has been ranked by U.S. News and World Report as one of the top 20 graduate programs of its kind in the nation. He has also been recognized both locally and nationally for his work and leadership with numerous distinguished awards and fellowships.

The vice president for academic affairs is responsible for serving as the university‘s chief academic officer to provide overall system-wide vision, leadership, and management of academic programs at UH. McClain‘s appointment is for a one-year period at a salary of $260,000.

With McClain‘s appointment, the BOR approved Dr. James Wills, currently serving as associate dean, as interim dean of the College of Business Administration at UH Mānoa. With the in-depth knowledge he has of the college, particularly in the areas of undergraduate and graduate programs, curriculum development, and research and entrepreneurial activities, he will be able to smoothly transition into the role. An accomplished scholar and professor of marketing, he has served in a number of academic leadership positions prior to his role as associate dean. His appointment as interim dean is for a one-year period or until a dean is appointed, whichever should occur first, and is at a salary of $155,056.

The BOR also approved the appointment of Sam Callejo as chief of staff for the university, a position responsible for providing executive leadership, vision and management in serving as the chief administrative operational officer and advisor to the president. Callejo currently serves as director of capital improvements, and prior to that, served as the administrative director/chief of staff to the governor of the State of Hawaiʻi, where he administered and managed 16 state departments and coordinated with UH and the Department of Education on behalf of the Governor. A UH alumnus, he has extensive knowledge of the public sector at both the state and
local levels having previously served as state comptroller for the State of Hawaiʻi‘s Department of Accounting and General Services and director and chief engineer of the City and County of Honolulu‘s Department of Public Works. Callejo also served in the U.S. Army‘s Corps of Engineers early in his career, and was involved in various construction projects in both Vietnam and San Francisco. Callejo‘s appointment is at a salary of $200,000.

Jan Yokota was approved by the BOR to fill the position of director of capital improvements. Yokota is currently executive director of the Hawaiʻi Community Development Authority (HCDA), responsible for the planning and redevelopment of the 670-acre Kakaʻako and 3,800-acre Kalaeloa Community Development Districts. In her role, Yokota oversaw the development of the major improvements to the Kakaʻako Waterfront, including the six-acre Makai Gateway Park and the surrounding Ward Entertainment Center. She has also managed an international consulting firm that negotiated several joint ventures between the People‘s Republic of China and European entities. Yokota received her master‘s degree in regional planning from Cornell University and a bachelor‘s degree with honors from the University of Michigan. Her appointment is at a salary of $120,000.

In other action, the BOR approved the reassignment of Hawaiʻi Community College Chancellor Sandra Sakaguchi to help facilitate planning and design for the new UH Kona campus on the Big Island. Sakaguchi will leave her post as chancellor of Hawaiʻi CC, a position she has held since 1991. Sakaguchi has also been responsible for the UH Center at West Hawaiʻi, which specializes in undergraduate and graduate distance education programs.

Dr. Shirley Daniel was approved by the BOR as interim chancellor for Hawaiʻi Community College. Daniel, who has been with the university since 1995, is currently a professor and Henry Walker Chair in the College of Business Administration at UH Mānoa. Daniel received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Oklahoma State University, and has been recognized with numerous awards, fellowships and honors. Daniel‘s appointment is for six months with a possible extension for an additional six months. Her salary will remain at her current annual base salary of $156,816, which she receives as a UH Mānoa distinguished professor and Henry Walker Chair, in addition to allowable income she receives from grant support. She will also receive a monthly stipend of $2,500.

Recruitment for the positions of dean of the UH Mānoa College of Business Administration and chancellor of Hawaiʻi Community College is expected to begin soon.

At the UH Mānoa campus, Walter Jamieson was approved by the BOR as the new dean of the School of Travel Industry Management. Jamieson is currently vice chair of the World Tourism Education and Research Centre at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. He is also a professor of planning and the director of the Historical Resources Intern Program in the Faculty of Environmental Design at the university, and has served in administrative capacities including associate dean and director of The Centre for Environmental Design Research and Outreach.

A search committee was formed, led by Chair Lawrence Foster, dean of the William S. Richardson School of Law at UH Mānoa, and the committee consisted of various UH Mānoa faculty and staff as well as community and tourism industry leaders. The school, university and community also participated in the process through public forums that were held with the final candidates. Jamieson‘s appointment is for three years beginning August 1, 2003, through July 31, 2006 at a salary of $145,008.

"Walter Jamieson is highly respected and has led an accomplished career with extensive international experience, especially in the Asia-Pacific region," said UH Mānoa Chancellor Peter Englert. "I look forward to the expertise and various perspectives his experiences will bring to this critical leadership position, not only for the university, but also for the state of Hawaiʻi."