Skip navigation.

Public Administration > News & Events > Archive 2008

News & Events 2008

Local Leadership in Northeast Thailand

In spring 2008 the Program will host a few exemplary local leaders from northeast Thailand.  While here they will talk together about what they do that makes them exceptional leaders, attend PUBA and other classes on campus, and meet with local public officials.  Afterward we will pull together a booklet of lessons that can be shared with other local leaders in the region.

The project is supported by the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at UHM, with additional funding from PUBA.  It is an outcome of the long-term relationship between PUBA and Khon Kaen University.  If the project is successful it may be expanded to other parts of the Mekong Region.

PUBA-Community Speaker Forum, November 7, 2008: 'Managing Crises in the Spotlight'

"Professor Susan Chandler, Director of the College of Social Sciences Public Policy Center and Professor of Public Administration, led a discussion on "Managing Crises in the Spotlight" at the November 7, 2008, PUBA-Community Speaker's Forum. From 1995 through 2002, Prof. Chandler served as the Director of the State of Hawaii Department of Human Services (DHS), responsible for providing and coordinating financial assistance, health insurance, and*/ /*social service support to Hawaii residents in need. Referring to her experiences during that time, Chandler discussed the management challenges of dealing with "hot button" issues when the press, legislators, and the Governor are concerned and watching. During the forum, participants shared some of their own experiences and lessons learned. Professor Chandler has recently completed (with Professor Richard Pratt) a monograph chronicling her experience as director of DHS, titled /Looking Back to go Forward: Experiences of a Social Welfare Administrator in a Public Agency/."

UHM SEED Director visits PUBA 622

On April 20 Dr. Amy Agbayani joined PUBA 622, Strategies of Change -- Leaders and Leadership, as a guest speaker. Dr. Agbayani is the director the UH Manoa office of Student Excellent, Equity and Diversity (SEED). She is also well-known in the community, and is among many other things, former chair of the Judicial Selection Committee and a member of the Civil Rights Commission. Her talk described her history of engagement with the equity issues she cares about, and then reflected on her approach to trying to be effective on behalf of those issues.

Dator Starts The Future

Director of the Hawaii Research Center for Futures Studies, and Professor of Political Science, Jim Dator, began his annual Futures Module in the Core Year of the Public Administration Program on April 29th (2008). The Futures Module concludes the Core Year by exposing students the basic concepts and tools of Futures Studies, encouraging public administrators to consciously and deliberately incorporate the ideas into their organizations' work. Dator is a globally-recognized leader and scholar in the field and a member of PUBA's advisory board.

Honolulu Ethics Executive Director Visits Core Year

On April 22, 2008, Chuck Totto, Executive Director of the City & County of Honolulu Ethics Commission visited the Core Year class of the Master's of Public Administration. The class was part of the Core Year's Ethics module, and Mr. Totto explained the functioning of the Commission, and his office's role, in enforcing the City and County's ethics code. Mr. Totto is an attorney by training and previously served as the Consumer Advocate for the State of Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

Speaker's Forum, April 18, 2008

PUBA Alum Speaks on Budgeting Issues

Ken Kitamura, Administrative Services Officer for the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, State of Hawaii, spoke at our April 18, 2008, PUBA-Community Speaker's Forum on public budgeting issues. Ken has wide experience in public budgeting, having worked with Honolulu's City Council Budget Committee, the Hawaii State Senate Ways and Means Committee, the State Legislative Auditor's Office, and the Lieutenant-Governor's Office. On April 18, Ken spoke to about 25 alums and other public managers on strategies for effective budgeting practice in the public sector. Establishing, and maintaining, good relationships with budget and legislative analysts was one important theme Ken stressed.

Guest speakers in PUBA 622, spring 2008

Mitch D’Olier, below left, visited "Strategies of Change - Leaders and Leadership"(PUBA 622) on January 23rd. Currently the CEO of Kaneohe Ranch, Mr. D'Olier has lots of experience with private sector projects that require early and sustained involvement with diverse local communities. He shared reflections on the sources of passion for what he does and the process he goes through to try to make a project work for a community and for his organization. When asked what he brings as a leader he named energy, enthusiasm, a team, and, perhaps most important, a willingness to listen and learn. Mr. D'Olier is one of a diverse set of leaders who visit the class during the semester. The course focuses on understanding what leaders do that works or doesn't work in terms of making an impact on a complex public issue. PUBA 622 is taught by Robbie Alm, a well-known community leader, and Dick Pratt. The current syllabus is available on our website.

Cheryl Kauhane, below middle with Robbie Alm, the CEO of the YWCA of Hawai'i, recently was a guest in "Strategies of Change: Leaders and Leadership." Ms. Kauhane had prior experience in the for-profit sector, and moved from a larger local company to start a small restaurant in the downtown Honolulu YWCA. Seven years ago she was appointed CEO and since then has coordinated a number of initiatives to refine and focus the YWCA's mission and organizational processes. She has been a guest in PUBA 622 a number of times. This visit was an opportuntity for her to reflect on the comparative influence of gender, ethnicity, social class and family history in shaping her values and how she does things.

PUBA - Community Speaker's Forum, January 11, 2008

New HGEA Executive Director Randy Perreira, below left, and City and County of Honolulu Human Resources Administrator, Vera Onouye, below right, participated in a panel discussion on public human resources issues at the January 11, 2008, PUBA-Community Speaker's Forum. The discussion covered issues of leadership transition, attracting young people to careers in public service, and managing human resources for the long-term. There was lively discussion from the audience, as experienced public employees shared their perspectives on these and related issues. The Speaker's Forum continues to be a vehicle for connecting current Program students with alums and other public service professionals.

 

back to top