Connie Kramer, MBA ’24, EdD ’28 craves new projects—and her resume proves it.
For more than two decades, she worked in the fast-paced world of media production, film and television before launching her own event planning company, collaborating with local businesses to put together high-end destination weddings, corporate and nonprofit events.
She took her company far and then, as a young mother, sold it to return to marketing and a more predictable work schedule. In 2013, she landed a role as director of sales and marketing at a Hawaii hotel chain—a position she held until 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was an unexpected departure.
But it gave Kramer a chance to do what she does best: Find a new challenge to take on. “Getting a master’s degree was always in the back of my mind,” she said. “And then the opportunity came up.”
She enrolled in the Professional MBA program at Chaminade, a year-long program designed for experienced professionals that includes online and in-person instruction and an international study trip. Kramer said she was nervous about going back to school, but quickly found her Chaminade classes were a perfect fit.
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“The classes really pulled from real-world case studies,” Kramer said. “That allowed me to bring my own experiences while broadening my leadership skills. That was one of the big sellers for me.”
Kramer said she not only enjoyed learning from her professors, but collaborating with her classmates. She was also challenged to think about the next steps in her career. “I thought I was going to use the MBA for director-ship roles,” she said. “But the faculty at Chaminade inspired me by making learning relevant in the classroom. I realized I wanted to give back through education.”
Kramer said she realized that she had trained teammates throughout her business career.
Why not, she asked herself, use her skills to prepare the next generation of leaders?
That’s why Kramer now finds herself pursuing a Doctorate of Education in Organizational Leadership for Adaptation and Change at Chaminade. She started her first doctoral classes in July, while also tackling a lectureship role at the University. Her ultimate goal is to become a professor.
“I never thought this would be something that would be on my radar,” she said. “But because of the warm relationships I’ve established with my professors at Chaminade and joining the Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program, it’s inspired me to pursue this new passion.”
At the same time, Kramer is still juggling other roles, including as an entrepreneur.
Coming from a family of avid golfers, she started a business selling fun plush golf covers with Hawaii themes. Golf Plush Paradise sells almost exclusively online, but Kramer also makes time to get to a few fairs and markets as she’s looking to build the brand.
“There’s so much golfing in Hawaii, but these speak to the female golfer like me,” she said.
At the same time, Kramer is looking to expand her volunteer work. She said while her resume reflects a diverse set of skills, at the core of all of her work has been a desire to give back.