Aloha,
Have you ever wondered about the current state or future goals for the College of Engineering at the University of Hawaii? At the April General Membership Meeting breakfast, Dr. Brennon Morioka, Dean of UH Manoa College of Engineering, shared his outlook for the school as well as the many hurdles and challenges on his plate. Additionally, he spoke to the role of the engineering community and the school’s role in recruitment of highly qualified engineers in Hawai’i. Attendees left the presentation with an optimistic view of the college and motivated to be a part of the solution to building capacity within our body of engineers.
Our next General Membership lunch meeting is scheduled for May 8 at the Pacific Club. Mr. Ian Kitajima, President of the Pacific International Center for High Technology Research, will be presenting on Today’s AI – The Fun, Freaky, and Amazing. For more information or to participate in this informative learning opportunity, visit our May General Membership Meeting announcement. Also, save the evening of May 15 for a Kamehameha Schools’ Update Presentation and Pau Hana by the joint efforts of AIA/ACECH/GCA. Registration will be limited to 20 ACECH members.
Congratulations and welcome to the slate of new officers approved during our Annual Meeting on April 17. Starting on July 1, the Board of Directors for the 2024-2025 fiscal year are President – Shannon Holman, President Elect – Charles Jury, Treasurer – Kealohi Sandefur, Secretary – Tim Goshi, National Director – Nimr Tamimi, Past President – Kyle Kaneshiro, and Directors – George Takase, Dayna Nemoto-Shima, and Simone Simbeck. This years annual meeting also presented revisions to the Constitution and Bylaws and approved the upcoming year’s operating budget including a No Rise in local membership dues for the coming year. Hosted by the Kuilei Place Development, attendees obtained information about the first of its kind in Hawai‘i, Grey Water Reuse System, being implemented in this high rise development, as well as purchasing opportunities available.
ACECH is still looking for more members to serve as leaders to chair or participate in two new committees. The Building Permit Exemption Ad Hoc Committee will tackle the growing trend in Honolulu as government agencies look to exempt themselves from the building permit process. The Ad Hoc Committee intends to look at the various agency drivers, challenges with the approach, and brainstorm possible solutions. The Resilience Committee will be a collaborative effort with the American Planning Association (APA) to investigate the challenges regarding climate change, particularly sea level rise. The committee will focus on developing an approach to help position Hawaii to withstand or recover quickly from the effects of climate change. These are challenges that will require our professional community to decipher through. Consider being a part of this movement and make a difference. To participate in one of these committees, please reach out to me at kyle@tlcghawaii.com.
The Kāpili Maui scholarship fund is close to reaching its goal of raising $50k. Please consider making a donation and help the fund through this final stretch. Every bit counts. A donation helps support the families and keiki of Maui obtain their dreams.