Chaminade University of Honolulu

Business & Communication

Keeping Communities Afloat

Close to 200 community leaders gathered online for Chaminade’s 17th annual Nonprofit Organizations Seminar on August 14. While the event has become an annual staple of Chaminade’s School of Business and Communication, this year’s seminar felt even more timely and served as a testament to the incredible work that nonprofits across the state do to protect the most vulnerable communities during times of need.

“It is a challenging time right now for nonprofits,” says Dr. Bill Rhey, the new dean of the School of Business and Communication at Chaminade University. Under the leadership of the Seminar’s Board, the school waived this year’s registration fee and offered the seminar free of charge. “With all of the uncertainty around COVID-19, many nonprofits are stretched thin—they’re working longer, harder hours with fewer resources and more risks to keep their communities afloat. This event was our way of telling the community that we see you, we hear you, and we’re here to support you.”

Screenshot from the Nonprofit Organizations Seminar 2020

The all-day event called on well-known speakers from across the state to help nonprofit leaders stay abreast of new changes and develop new skills and techniques for running their organizations. The morning focused on relevant financial updates for organizations. Trever K. Asam, partner at Cades Schutte, followed tradition of seminars past in presenting his annual IRS Federal Tax Update and helped listeners understand recent developments for tax-exempt and nonprofit organizations. He was followed by Tom Yamachika, president of the Tax Foundation of Hawaii, who explained how to apply and respond to new tax laws.

The technical sessions of the morning were followed by more high-level conversations around governance and program evaluation in the afternoon. Chaminade Professor Richard Kido discussed board governance and responsibility and Linda Axtell-Thompson, principal of Axtell Consulting LLC and adjunct faculty member at Chaminade, followed later in the afternoon with a presentation on governance ethics.

The lunchtime session featured Thomas Kelly, Jr., an expert in nonprofit program evaluation who joined the Hawaii Community Foundation as vice president for knowledge, evaluation and learning in 2012, after spending 13 years managing evaluations at the Annie E. Casey Foundation in Baltimore. Kelly walked participants through how to evaluate program impacts, and then how to use those impacts to communicate successes to constituents and donors.

“Donors are interested to know how well a nonprofit is performing, how much progress it’s making and whether it’s contributing positively to the community,” explained Kelly. “If a nonprofit actually spends the time to report out its impact and measures of progress and success, then it can actually influence donors to invest in them.”

This message was particularly relevant today, as the fundraising landscape for nonprofits looks vastly different than it did a year ago. In 2019, the U.S. was the most charitable country in the world, with 175 million Americans donating to charities. Nonprofits accounted for $2.5 trillion in revenue and employed nearly 12 million people.

But according to a recent poll by LendingTree, 15 percent of donors have paused donations due to income loss, and 5 percent have decreased the amount they contribute. And a March survey by Quickbooks found that 47 percent of donors were giving less than they were a month ago. Stories about nonprofit layoffs and furloughs due to revenue loss are plenty. Yet, at the same time, many nonprofits are seeing an increase in demand for resources and programs as communities struggle to navigate the economic downturn.

“As a Marianist institution, it is our responsibility to serve our community,” says Dr. Lynn Babington, president of Chaminade University. “Right now our community is facing a tremendous economic crisis with no foreseeable end. We are forever grateful to the nonprofit leaders and workers who are serving on the frontlines during this crisis, and it is our duty to support them during this time of need.”

Dr. William Rhey Named Dean

After an extensive search, Chaminade is excited to announce the appointment of Dr. William Rhey as the University’s new Dean of the School of Business and Communication.

Dr. William Rhey, dean of the School of Business and Communication

Rhey comes to Chaminade with years of experience in university leadership roles, including most recently as the Dean of Hawaii Pacific University’s College of Business.

In addition to an impressive resume and a history of fostering development and growth at business schools, Rhey also brings a strong enthusiasm and belief in Chaminade’s strong public service mission.

He is especially passionate about the role of ethics in business development and entrepreneurship.

Rhey takes on this new challenge as the state faces an uncertain economic future. Chaminade looks forward to the School of Business and Communication serving as a hub of expertise and solutions as Hawaii looks to diversify its economy and bolster new and emerging growth areas.

In his new role, Rhey also hopes to explore opportunities for growing the School of Business and Communication in ways that meet community needs, including by offering new graduate programs and tracks, micro-credential and certificate programs, and other continued learning opportunities.

Rhey’s scholarly pursuits include entrepreneurship, business ethics, and international marketing.

He received his doctoral degree in Marketing at the University of Mississippi, and has master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration from Baylor University and Bucknell University, respectively.

Rhey is also proud to volunteer his time at several organizations that serve the community, including the Hawaiian Council for Economic Education and the Metro Honolulu Rotary Board.

Chaminade looks forward to Rhey’s leadership at the Dean of the School of Business and Communication, and welcomed him to campus on July 1.

Alum’s Passions Turn into Business Ventures

It’s not often that our childhood fantasies turn out to be true. For many of us, our dreams of going to the moon one day or riding on the back of a garbage truck are never realized.

But for the lucky ones, like Dan Mangum ‘18, the life they envision as a child turns out to be exactly what adulthood is all about. 

Dan Mangum '18

Growing up, Mangum had two passions in life: music and basketball. And a family trip to Hawaii in the fourth grade left him determined to make the islands his home as an adult.

Now, as a young professional, Mangum has made a career for himself in both music and basketball, all from his island home in Honolulu.

As a high-school senior in New York, eight years after that life-changing trip to Hawaii, Mangum had his eyes set on studying in the Islands. He explored a few schools, but Chaminade stood out. He liked that the classes were small and that he would be able to form relationships with his professors and classmates.

“I didn’t want to be just another statistic in the classroom,” describes Mangum. “I was hoping to develop long-term relationships with my professors and classmates, which, looking back, was absolutely the case.”

His parents were also impressed with how responsive and attentive the Chaminade staff was. It’s not easy for a parent to agree to let their child travel 5,000 miles away and across the Pacific for school. But the Chaminade admissions team took the time to answer all of their questions, no matter how small they were. That put his mom at ease.

At first, Mangum was struck with culture shock. Hawaii was polar opposite to New York—he had grown up with long, cold winters and a fast-paced energy, and suddenly he was surrounded by a warm tropical climate where everything operated on island-time.

Chaminade was also the most diverse school he had ever attended.

“At Chaminade, my immediate group of friends included people from American Samoa, Guam, Hawaii and Australia,” says Mangum. “I don’t think you’re going to get diversity like that many other places.”

It didn’t take long for Mangum to adjust to the island lifestyle. He’s always been an outdoorsy person, and Oahu had so much to offer. He knew a lot of people that went off to college and started spending a lot of time at parties and at bars, but he didn’t want that for himself.

“I didn’t want to fall into the trap of just going to bars for four years,” he recalls. “Being on an island gave me healthier choices and provided alternative sources of fun, like hiking, surfing and diving.”

He remembers one of his philosophy professors, Dr. Peter Steiger, taking him and a few of his friends out surfing one morning during his freshman year.

“He woke us up at 5 a.m. and took us to this awesome local surf spot,” says Mangum. “He spent the day surfing with us and teaching us about local culture. I don’t think there’s a better place to learn philosophy than during sunrise on the ocean.”

But Mangum’s favorite class was news writing with Adjunct Professor Kim Baxter. He liked the class so much that he took it twice. Mangum was a writer for the student newspaper, the Silversword, and Baxter used to work for ESPN. She knew Mangum was a huge sports fan, so when the Clippers came to Honolulu for their pre-season games, she got Mangum a press pass to attend the team’s games and practices.

“I remember sitting courtside at this game, and I was right next to the reporters from the L.A. Times and ESPN. And here I was this 21-year-old kid from Chaminade,” says Mangum. “Not only was it an experience that I don’t think you can get at any other school, but it really gave me confidence that a professor who I had a lot of respect for was willing to put her reputation on the line for me.”

Dan Mangum '18 with Bro. Bernie Pleoger (9th president of Chaminade University)

At Chaminade, Mangum was also part of the Hogan Entrepreneurial Program. Students who participate in the program meet several times a week to learn the ins and outs of starting and running a business, and they network with business leaders around the Island. He found a second family through the Hogan program and a true mentor in retired Hogan director Dr. John Webster, and it gave him the connections he needed to launch one of his companies post-graduation—an adult basketball league.

Today, the league meets weekly at the Honolulu Club and encompasses four teams and over 30 players. The sales manager at the club was familiar with the Hogan program, and had faith enough in Mangum to offer up the space for the league’s games. One of Mangum’s Hogan mentors now also plays in the league.

Dan Mangum '18

As a communications major, Mangum took away two key lessons: how to write and how to market. He believes he’ll use those skills for the rest of his career.

After graduating he became the full-time marketing director for Nextdoor, a cinema lounge and concert hall in Honolulu’s Chinatown. He promotes their concerts, secures sponsorships and works with musicians to encourage them to visit Honolulu while on tour.

He also started his own company to book shows for musicians on the neighbor islands, and to market and promote events and small businesses. He loves his job—it puts him in contact with some of the musicians he used to idolize as a teenager.

Dan Mangum '18 and his parents

“These are all musicians that I was a huge fan of in high school,” says Mangum. “And now, just a few years later, I am able to be in business and work with them, which was a pretty cool realization.”

Coronavirus lockdowns have put much of his career on hold—concert venues are closed, musicians have paused their tours and the basketball league is postponed. But as a Chaminade graduate, the importance of adaptation and change is deeply ingrained in him. The core Marianist value has proved crucial as he finds ways to navigate the future.

“We’ve been adapting with various strategies to make sure we stay relevant, to find new ways to operate,” says Mangum. “I definitely credit Chaminade’s core values for helping me think through that.”

Mangum doesn’t know what the future holds, but if he can continue on his current path, he’ll be a happy man.

“I really love what I do now,” says Mangum. “I just hope to keep expanding and do it on a larger scale. Some day, I’d love to sell out something like the Blaisdell Arena. For now, I’ll just keep working harder and doing more.”

The Importance of Kindness

When Henry “Jamie” Holcombe first arrived on-island in 1986 as an Army Officer, he knew he wanted an MBA. He explored a few different universities, and ultimately settled on Chaminade University.

Alexandria, Virginia -- February 27, 2019 -- Portrait of Jamie Holcombe, Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). (Photo by Jay Premack/USPTO)

He was Catholic, and he liked that Chaminade educated in the Marianist tradition. But he was also attracted to the diversity that the campus offered.

And thus began his two-year foray acting as soldier by day, and student by night.

Over 30 years later, and Holcombe finds he still uses the knowledge he gained at Chaminade nearly every single day.

He’s the Chief Information Officer at The United States Patent and Trademark Office, and his department is responsible for overseeing nearly 10,600,000 patents.

When someone comes up with an idea that they want to implement, they have to make sure that it’s a unique and novel idea and that if they were to patent it, their patent would stand up in a court of law.

His office is responsible for designing and maintaining an easy-to-use platform so people all over the world can search for unique and novel ideas. His team relies heavily on computers and search algorithms, and builds classifications for all types of information, from genetics and microbiology to artificial intelligence.

Chaminade’s prime location offered Holcombe a valuable insight into Eastern business philosophies, which, as a businessman, has proved invaluable. When he was a student, Japan’s economy was surging and served as a great model to study. He also gained a better understanding of Japanese culture which is vital as he works regularly with his counterpart in Japan.

But the one thing that really impacted Holcombe, and that he reflects on every single day, are the pillars of the Marianist philosophy. At Chaminade, Holcombe came to value the importance of having a heart and extending kindness toward others. “I try to use kindness as a theme throughout my management style,” he says. “We’re all about results and getting things done better and faster, but life is too short. You have to have kindness.”

Student Named to Most Promising Multicultural Class of 2020

Chaminade Communication senior Sofia Vela jetted off to New York in February for a four-day conference of the American Advertising Federation’s Most Promising Multicultural Class of 2020.

Sofia Vela in NYC for Most Promising Multicultural program

Vela was among just 50 students from around the country selected for the class, a prestigious honor that recognized her portfolio of work and academic accomplishments. A panel of industry representatives from across a host of big-name companies selected the honorees.

The federation launched the Most Promising Multicultural Student program in 1997 to link the advertising industry with top multicultural students from around the country, setting up sit-downs with mentors and recruiters in a bid to create a more inclusive and diverse workforce.

Those selected this year traveled to New York from February 10 to 13 for a packed agenda—with workshops, “industry immersion” opportunities, and the Building Bridge for our Future luncheon.

The students were also treated to a Broadway show: “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical.”

Vela said she couldn’t contain her excitement when she’d found out she was selected for the honor.

And the New York City conference didn’t disappoint. “I had no idea that this trip would be so life-changing,” Vela said. “Each MPM student was hard-working and driven. Together, we lifted each other up and created an energy that continues to motivate me, even after returning home.”

All the honorees in the class are minorities and 43 are women. The diversity left Vela inspired. “We were all there for a similar, unspoken reason: to redefine the norm,” she said. “The time to increase populations of multicultural men and women in the workplace is now.”

Vela said she’s now ready to take on just about anything after college. Whatever her next steps, she knows she’ll have some new peers to share them with. “I made some lifelong friends on the trip,” Vela said. “The students on this trip were all absolutely wonderful.”

Hogan Kick-Off Event: Lessons from the Business World

Anton Krucky speaking at the Hogan kick-of event

Anton Krucky, whose decades of business leadership experience include years as an executive in marketing, sales and product development at IBM, now consults corporations and government agencies on how to effect organizational change in ways that will inspire employees and boost morale.

But at the Hogan Entrepreneurs kick-off event earlier this month, Krucky wasn’t consulting business leaders. He was talking to a group of business leaders-in-the-making – Hogan Entrepreneurial Program students who are working to build their business acumen and pursue their dreams to start a company or help one grow.

Krucky, the keynote speaker at the October 15 event, told attendees that he first dipped his toe into the business world with a paper route. He made $120 month, putting about $100 in the bank and spending the rest on anything he wanted. But in business, he said, spending and saving doesn’t work that way.

And herein was the first lesson of his speech: “If you run a company, every dollar is like your grandmother’s dollar,” he said. “You have to know where it comes from. You have to know where it goes. Once you take an investor’s money, you have to tell them what you’re doing with that money.”

Krucky should know.

In addition to serving at IBM, he co-founded a regenerative medicine company called Tissue Genesis, Inc. in 2001 and now serves on its Board of Managers. He’s also invested in emerging tech businesses.

On top of all that, Krucky also dedicates significant time to the community. He’s vice chair of Chaminade’s Board of Governors, is on the Hogan Entrepreneurial Program Advisory Board, and serves on the boards for Bishop Museum and Child and Family Service.

Anton Krucky speaking to students t the Hogan kick-of event

The Hogan kick-off event is an annual gathering and always draw a healthy crowd. In addition to students, dozens of leaders from across the business community attended the Pacific Club gathering.

Over the course of his speech, Krucky sought to impart key lessons for young business leaders.

To help highlight the value of problem solving and leadership over skills alone, Krucky pointed to his years at IBM. He was hired for a highly-competitive spot at the company, he said, because he was able to demonstrate how his previous work experience – as a lifeguard and a traveling representative for a fraternity – made him personally accountable for his performance and required him to adapt quickly.

“You’re looking for responsibility,” Krucky told the IBM recruiter after initially being turned down.

“Is there any more responsibility than saving a life? … They ended up hiring me as a system engineer.”

Once at IBM, Krucky found that he was doing well – sometimes better than those trained at elite Ivy League schools – because he applied himself. He recounted one episode early on in his career at IBM in which his boss – who didn’t seem to like him much – handed him a complicated formula and asked him what he made of it. His boss walked away and Krucky got to work, turning to colleagues elsewhere in the company for their expertise. Within short order, he handed a folder to his boss with an answer.

“He opens up the folder and he walks back to his office, shaking his head,“ Krucky said.

A short time later, the boss calls him into his office for an explanation. Instead of taking credit for the work, Krucky talks about how he’d turned to colleagues he knew – and colleagues they knew — for help in deciphering how to proceed. In other words, he told the truth. And that was the right thing to do.

Within two hours, Krucky was being offered the coveted job of marketing rep.

Anton Krucky speaking at the Hogan kick-of event
Anton Krucky, Dr. Lynn Babington and Dr. John Webster

The branch manager for IBM said Krucky was getting the promotion because of his creativity and initiative. But, the manager added, “It wasn’t just that you were good. You were honest.” Krucky said the words resonated with him. “People buy from people who are honest,” he told attendees.

Later in his career, Krucky built a model to help CEOs and their executives understand how people change in an organization. It’s called the “four box model,” and it uses a basketball analogy to ensure those across fields can understand it. In the model, box four is for the best high school basketball players in the country. Their competency is high and their morale is high, he said.

But once they get recruited to a college basketball team, they’re in a new box: Box 1.

Box 1, Krucky said, is the announcement box. It’s where a new recruit is told they’ll have to change.

With the right coaching, though, they can get to box 2: Where they understand they’re on a journey. “This is the teach box,” Krucky said, in the keynote address. “You have to learn the journey you’re on.”

The problem? The morale in box 2 is pretty terrible, and the competency isn’t any good, either.

Those elite high school players want to retreat to box 4. But their old box 4 isn’t there anymore.

If they can push through, a player learning the ropes can progress to box 3. That’s where they’re changing to meet a leader’s expectations. Here, competency is going up and morale is going up, too.

And eventually, with enough practice, they find themselves in a new box 4.

Krucky told the Hogan students that employees’ journey through change happens again and again in healthy companies. And leaders need to know how to inspire and mobilize employees so when they are going through the tough process of change, they don’t want to retreat to their old boxes, he said.

“You have to let the people know there is this model,” Krucky said, “so they know they will be happy” – if they put the work in to change for the better.