Punahou President Mike Latham ’86 recently attended two alumni events in Boston and New York. These events were attended by a combined audience of nearly 150 alumni and friends of the School and were hosted by the Punahou Alumni Association (PAA) New York and PAA New England. Much of Latham’s remarks centered around the School’s new mission, which is both distinctive, impactful and purpose-driven. He explained that the mission process was all-inclusive, involving students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents and our Board of Trustees, and had not been revisited since 1985.
Latham also touched on the new Davis Democracy Initiative, which is an innovative, new K –12 program around civic engagement, made possible through the financial support of Mark and Janie Davis. The initiative officially launched in February with U.S. Senator Brian Schatz ’90, Governor Josh Green and Mayor Rick Blangiardi, and incudes external partnership with schools, universities and organizations. Sustainability was another key strategic priority touched on by Latham, led by Director of Sustainability Debbie Millikan. The K – 12 initiative will analyze and set targets for campus operations, food, waste, water and energy consumption, as well as include a groundbreaking opportunity for Punahou and non-Punahou students to collaborate on real world environment problem solving in a new Sustainability Academy.
Chair of the Board of Trustees Connie Hee ’70 Lau and Punahou Alumni Association Christopher Abbott ’99 also addressed the guests and brought the aloha spirit from the Punahou campus, further bonding the Punahou community on the East Coast. Fellow trustee Debbie Berger ’82 joined the group in Boston with her brother, Kenny ’83, and daughter, Lana ’19. The program for each was opened by the PAANE and PAANY regional chapter representatives Kathleen Hanson ’91 and Allen Murabayashi ’90, respectively.
Overall, the two events were a great success, and guests were impressed with Latham’s passion and dedication to the School’s mission. The new mission was well-received, and many attendees expressed their excitement about the School’s future.