Chaminade University of Honolulu

Business & Communication

Alum McDonald Embraces ‘Think Global, Act Local’ Mantra as BEARPAW’s VP of International Sales

For alumnus Kevin McDonald ‘06, one of his biggest takeaways from Chaminade University involves thinking globally and acting locally to make the world a better place. Now he applies that high-minded philosophy in his duties as vice president of international sales for the BEARPAW footwear company.

Kevin McDonald '06“Think global, act local perfectly sums up and applies to business and causes that are important to me,” says McDonald, who earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. “Instead of focusing outward, we have looked to help the immediate region surrounding our head office just outside of Sacramento.”

BEARPAW charitable activities include donating about 6,000 pairs of girls’ boots to the Ticket to Dream Foundation, which provides services for foster children. BEARPAW also sponsored and participated in the “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” event supporting WEAVE, a nonprofit group that helps victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and sex trafficking in Sacramento County.

And, yes, McDonald joined other men in completing WEAVE’s playful, mile-long charity walk while teetering on red, high-heeled shoes.

McDonald joined BEARPAW three years ago after receiving a phone call from company founder Tom Romeo and president John Pierce. Now that he manages all global sales outside the USA, McDonald is responsible for product selection, pricing, forecasting, marketing, presentations, customer service “and just about anything you can imagine.”

The alum gained an appreciation for international business between his junior and senior years at Chaminade when visiting China through the Hogan Entrepreneurs Program.

Kevin McDonald '06“This was my first time traveling outside of North America,” McDonald notes. “Fast forward to today, I have been to over 30 countries. Each has similarities, but being open and aware to the cultural differences has had a major impact on navigating these markets.”

Reflecting on his Chaminade education, McDonald is especially grateful for the knowledge shared by Dr. Margaret Friedman, an associate professor of marketing.

“I was not the best-in-class student,” McDonald admits, “but Dr. Friedman connected and always provided great nuggets of information that were easily digestible and applicable. These helped to expand the thought process when addressing a consumer or business need/want and outlining or brainstorming your strategic approach.

“All things truly come back to the 4 P’s” (price, product, promotion and place), McDonald says, pointing out that these simple marketing concepts “are often and easily overlooked.

Any career advice for current business students?

“Keep an open mind and be ready to jump if an opportunity presents itself,” McDonald counsels. “Absorb as much as you can from as many people as possible, from as many different walks of life and career paths.

“Have fun and enjoy the journey,” he adds. “It is just beginning and never ends.”

Chaminade’s School of Business and Communication offers undergraduate programs in Business Administration, Accounting, Communication, Management and International Studies (International Trade). The school also offers a Master of Business Administration graduate program with concentrations in Accounting, Island Business and Not-for-Profit Management.

Chaminade Students Present Abstracts at National Conference on Undergraduate Research

Three Chaminade University students – Madison Choi, Alexander Jankowski and Kawehiokekai Moefu – were among the presenters at the 2017 National Conference on Undergraduate Research. The 31st annual event, held at the University of Memphis, promotes research, scholarship and creative activity in diverse fields of study.

Choi, whose faculty mentor is English Professor Allison Paynter, gave an oral presentation entitled: “A Critique of American Reality T.V. in Collins’ The Hunger Games.”

“The entire process of preparing, editing and delivering my speech – both methodical and emotional – was a learning experience I definitely could not have received in a classroom setting,” Choi said.

“The pressure to deliver to an audience of people I don’t know was daunting, but now I know that I’m capable to doing it so next time I won’t be as nervous or apprehensive,” Choi continued.

“The positive feedback I got from other students and faculty was also encouraging to hear and gives me a newfound excitement not only for research, but also for the specific topic of pop culture, film and literature.”

Moefu, whose faculty mentor is Dr. Cheryl Edelson, gave a presentation entitled: “Disney’s Moana (2016) and Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke (1997): The Depiction of the Female Heroine in Film Spanning over Twenty Years.”

Moefu pointed out that the conference is “not just about research work” but also “acts as a stepping stone for graduate school.”

“I had the opportunity to talk with representatives from some universities that I have an interest in attending for graduate school – like Purdue University, University of Georgia and NYU – to gather contact and program information,” Moefu said.

Madison Choi, Professor Amber Caracol Noguchi, Professor Eva Washburn-Repollo, Kawehiokekai Moefu, and Alexander Jankowski
Madison Choi, Professor Amber Caracol Noguchi, Professor Eva Washburn-Repollo, Kawehiokekai Moefu, and Alexander Jankowski

“I would recommend that every undergraduate student take the opportunity to do research on a topic that they are interested in, and then go and present it to an audience,” Moefu added. “It will forever change the trajectory of their life’s course and possibly guide them to travel even further in their academic journey.”

Jankowski, whose faculty mentor is Communications Associate Professor Dr. Eva Washburn-Repollo, gave a presentation entitled: “The Kids are Alt-Right: A Cultural Window Into the Disenfranchised.”

Choi and Moefu developed their abstracts through Chaminade’s Title III-funded Undergraduate Research Mentor Program, which helps students in the humanities and social sciences strengthen their applications to graduate schools.

Information is available at: https://chaminade.edu/undergraduate-research/

Business Students Take Top Honors, Once Again, in Ethics Case Study International Competition

For the third time in the past five years, Chaminade University took top honors at an international academic competition for business students. Hosting the Ethics Case Study Competition was the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE) at its annual conference and assembly meeting in San Francisco.

Students on the winning team were Victoria Alakai, Ave Galea’i, Anthony Lamorena and Jennifer Tolentino. Serving as coaches and mentors from Chaminade’s School of Business and Communication were faculty members Wayne Tanna, Carolyn Kuriyama, Aaron Williamson and IACBE “Teacher of the Year” Richard Kido.

Peregrine Academic Services awarded the team a $1,000 scholarship.

When making their presentations to panels of judges, students explained legal, financial, economic, marketing, management and other relevant issues. Then they made recommendations for action grounded in ethical theory.

Since Chaminade is a Native Hawaiian-serving institution, the students developed a case study regarding the transition of land at Kalaupapa on Molokai, where thousands of Hansen’s Disease sufferers lived in seclusion since 1866.

The ethical dilemma involved preserving the legacy of those patients versus providing homestead lands to Native Hawaiians on a waiting list.

After making their initial presentations, all teams in the competition were given just four hours to analyze and offer recommendations regarding a case study of the 2015 terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California.

The basic question was: Should a technology company assist the government in accessing people’s private information for any purpose in the name of national security?

A total of five teams entered the IACBE competition, including a group of graduate students from Germany.

Leading a Government Watchdog Group is Tough, but MBA Program Makes It Easier

Given Corie Tanida’s affinity for the nonprofit sector, and her commitment to professional growth, pursuing an MBA at Chaminade University seems like a perfect fit – especially since the graduate program offers flexible scheduling and a Not-For-Profit concentration.

Tanida serves as executive director of Common Cause Hawaii, a nonpartisan, nonprofit, grassroots organization committed to making government more open, honest and accountable to the people. And heading this statewide watchdog group isn’t easy.

Her formidable responsibilities include: advocating for policy reforms at state and county levels, overseeing civic engagement projects, conducting research, leading fundraising initiatives, coordinating volunteers and managing the Honolulu office.

“For most of my career, I’ve been an organizer, so I knew how to run campaigns, events, etc.,” says Tanida, a former Peace Corps volunteer in El Salvador. “Most of what I learned was from on-the-job experience and from mentors. I realized that I didn’t have any technical or managerial experience, and these are key skills in any field.”

Earning an MBA, therefore, “would fill that gap.”

Tanida describes her Chaminade professors as “awesome, incredibly knowledgeable and friendly.” But an instructor who stands out is John Ciambrone. He taught a course entitled “Strategic Issues in Philanthropy.”

“When I accepted the position of Common Cause executive director, I was worried because I didn’t have much experience in development,” Tanida says. “Thanks to Professor Ciambrone, he gave me the tools and knowledge I needed to create a development program and feel comfortable when working with donors.

“And even though I took his class months ago, he still answers my questions and invites me to workshops and conferences so I can learn more and connect with the philanthropic community. He even gave up his own time and energy to train my board of directors on development,” she continues.

“How many professors genuinely care and go out of their way to help you succeed outside of class?”

Tanida, who plans to graduate from Chaminade this summer, also praises MBA Program Manager and Professor Elizabeth Stone.

“While the assignment was to create a business plan for a completely new nonprofit, Professor Stone knew about my unique position and allowed me to draft the plan about Common Cause Hawaii, which I was able to put to use almost immediately,” Tanida says.

“I’m grateful that she was flexible and that she continued to work with me after the term ended to help me refine the business plan. With Professor Stone’s guidance, I was able to look at Common Cause through a fresh and more objective view.

“Professor Stone has also gone out of her way to help me build my networks and share her experiences in the nonprofit sector with me,” Tanida adds. “Again, another great example of a caring professor who goes out of their way to see you succeed.”

Business Education Accreditation Council Honors Kido with ‘Excellence in Teaching Award’

In recognition of his “meaningful and significant contributions to student learning in a way that advances academic quality in business education,” Chaminade University Associate Professor of Accounting Richard Kido recently received the 2017 “Excellence in Teaching Award.”

The honor was conferred by the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE) at its annual conference and assembly meeting in San Francisco.

IACBE, which accredited Chaminade’s Accounting Program in April 2017, promotes excellence in business education worldwide. The council has accredited more than 1,500 undergraduate and graduate programs in the United States, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Central America and South America.

“Hundreds of people are deserving of this award,” Kido says, “so I feel lucky to receive it. This is not an individual award. It’s a team award and department award for our School of Business and Communication. It’s a reflection of the quality of our Chaminade faculty as a whole.”

When IACBE representatives visited campus as part of the accreditation process, Kido worked closely with the site team. Based on interviews with accounting students and alumni who praised Kido’s teaching methods and commitment to service learning, IACBE nominated him for the prestigious award.

Kido teaches a wide range of courses at Chaminade, including accounting and nonprofit accounting. Prior to entering academia in 2002, he served as a chief financial officer in the savings and loan, real estate development and hospitality industries. He also operated his own accounting and financial consulting firm.

Kido earned his master’s degree in business administration from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and a bachelor of arts degree from Michigan State University.

US-China Relations in the Trump Era Explored

An overall fairly sanguine outlook regarding US-China relations, balanced by a dose of realism, characterized remarks by Dr. Christopher A. McNally, at a recent forum as part of Chaminade’s Sino-Capitalism lecture series.

Christopher McNally

McNally, a professor of political economics at Chaminade and an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the East-West Center, is a nationally recognized expert on Sino-Capitalism, which provides an intriguing framework for examining the unique US-China relationship in this era.

Despite tough talk directed at China during the US Presidential campaign, Trump’s approach after taking office has shifted 180 degrees according to McNally (–who also pointed out the opposite has occurred with Russia). Trump previously had bashed China on trade, currency manipulation, and its geopolitical aspirations.

After his very positive meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s new agenda is emerging that ties geopolitical cooperation to deepening economic relations. McNally noted that the United States and China are “deeply enmeshed” over a broad spectrum of politico-economic relations. Financial and economic integration means that China and the US have to, for better or worse, get along.

McNally went on to explain that economic ties between the US and China are so deep because China has generated a novel yet highly dynamic form of capitalism that is globally integrated. Among China myths debunked in his presentation, McNally firmly rebutted the notion that the United States is still in the driver’s seat, stating that this is increasingly not the case. He illustrated this by the fact that the United States has to rely on hard power more often now to project its influence rather than more efficient use of economic or financial strategies.

Nevertheless, recent developments give cautious cause for optimism. The new agenda under Trump that ties geopolitical cooperation with China (especially vis-à-vis North Korea) to deepening economic relations is positive. Postponement of the 100-day deadline to address economic imbalances to one year is another sign of a more collaborative approach.

Regarding the US-China Trade deal, while modest in some ways, the agreements on US beef, LNG, and ratings agency access certainly represent a clear “win-win” situation for both sides.

McNally summarized his reasons for optimism by pointing out that Sino-capitalism could create the conditions for a unique economic condominium – its bottom-up entrepreneurial element is already deeply integrated into the US economy, and the potential for “growing the pie” is enormous.

Support for this forum is provided by the late Chaminade Regent Stanley W. Hong’s Endowed Fund for Distinguished Asia-Pacific Speakers and Scholars.