Kathy Cutshaw, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa vice chancellor emerita, passed away on September 25. She served as the UH Mānoa vice chancellor for administrative, finance and operations (VCAFO) from January 2005 under six chancellors until her retirement in August 2019. She was awarded the title of vice chancellor emerita by the UH Board of Regents on July 18, 2019.
Prior to her tenure at VCAFO, Cutshaw served as director of administrative services for UH Mānoa’s School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) from February 1997 until January 2005.
Born in 1947 in Lompoc, California, Cutshaw lived in the Lompoc and Santa Barbara area through the 1970s and had two sons. During the 1980s and half of the 90s, she lived in the San Diego area, the majority of which she worked in administration in the physics department at University of San Diego, California. After her two sons left for college, she transplanted to Hawaiʻi, married her late husband Larry Cutshaw at Sandy Beach on Oʻahu, and remained for 25 years until she moved back to San Diego after her retirement to be with family.
Outpouring of remembrances
“Kathy was a blessing as a colleague. She was committed to innovation and improvement, creative in finding solutions, and always working to achieve the best for UH and Hawaiʻi. And through it all, her warm and kind heart shone through even the most challenging of situations. She will be deeply, deeply missed by all of us,” said UH President David Lassner.
Lori Ideta, UH Mānoa vice provost for student success, shared, “Kathy was not just a colleague, she was a mentor. When I first stepped into the interim vice chancellor role, as a senior woman leader, Kathy took me under her wing. She provided great advice and helped me navigate the world of executive management. She modeled how to lead with a skill set and a good heart. I am devastated by her loss and so grateful for her for all that she taught me through the years.”
“Working with Kathy was both a professional and personal delight. She was a very talented administrator with the unique ability to explain complex financial challenges and propose creative solutions,” recalled Virginia Hinshaw, UH Mānoa chancellor emerita, and retired professor of tropical medicine, medical microbiology and pharmacology. “Throughout our time working together and into retirement, Kathy and I would ‘do lunch’ together on a regular basis—we shared ideas about how to solve work problems and how to maintain joy in our lives. Those special times together were so helpful. I respected Kathy as a valued colleague and loved her as a dear friend—and I miss her.”
Brian Taylor, SOEST dean emeritus and affiliate researcher, served with Cutshaw in each of her two executive positions at UH Mānoa. “I had the privilege of serving with Kathy in the SOEST Dean’s Office (when she was director of administrative services) and in the UH Mānoa Chancellor’s Office (when she was vice chancellor for administration, finance and operations). SOEST and UH Mānoa benefited greatly from Kathy’s oversight of finances and operations. Though fiscally conservative, Kathy had a ‘we’ll find a way to get it done’ attitude that enabled many complex projects to be undertaken and succeed. She worked well with people, had a ‘goldilocks’ smile, and often found a ‘middle way’ that brought disparate factions together. She was a good friend and I miss her greatly.”
Velma Kameoka, UH Mānoa professor emerita and former interim vice chancellor and vice provost for research and scholarship, fondly shared, “Kathy was my dear friend and trusted colleague. She had been so looking forward to filling her retirement with world travel, but these plans were altered, first by the pandemic, and later by health concerns. Kathy meant so much to the entire university community, but her work was best understood and appreciated by those in the administration who benefited from her wise counsel, genuineness and sound decisions. Kathy would be smiling by my saying that she made the most awesome red and white chicken enchiladas. She is dearly missed.”
Ann Sakuma, director of campusHELP and former assistant to VCAFO Cutshaw, recalls, “Kathy was a leader that led by example and supported the initiatives and efforts of her team. Under her guidance, we worked hard together to make our campus a better place and had fun doing it in style. Kathy promoted teamwork, provided growth opportunities and created a tight-knit work family. Her sudden and unexpected departure has been a difficult but thoughtful reminder to cherish one another and spend quality time with loved ones. Mahalo nui Kathy for the priceless memories and valuable relationships that you have fostered under your care.”
Mavis Higa served as Cutshaw’s secretary for many years during her time at SOEST and moved over to work with her at the Office of VCAFO in 2006. “She was not only a great boss but also a kind, dear friend and I will miss her. One of my best memories of Kathy was her passion for travel and how we would chat endlessly about our upcoming trips. We would message each other after she retired complaining about the pandemic and how it was ruining our travel plans,” said Higa.
Sandy French, UH Mānoa chief business officer, worked with Cutshaw for many years. “Kathy was a thoughtful leader and mentor, who brought out the best in her staff and her colleagues. She could help you understand the historical context of an issue, puzzle through challenges, and find a better way forward. She had a lasting impact on the university and is truly, deeply missed by many. She loved to travel overseas with her husband and loved chicken katsu and pork hash.”
Cutshaw is survived by her two sons Tom and Rob Leedom; sisters Kerry Kelley and Susan Sahlberg, and grandson Kyle.
Rob Leedom, remembered his mother’s time at UH, “My mother took a leap of faith over 25 years ago to join the UH community. Not a day went by after that point did she not express her joy in that endeavor and the familial experience that the university provided.”
