Beginnings: Alex Munro completed his undergraduate education at Roanoke College in Virginia and earned his Master of Fine Arts in directing and doctorate in performance studies at UH Mānoa. Munro has been program manager for HealthCast, a collaboration between the Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing and Department of Theatre + Dance, since its inception at UH Mānoa in 2013.   Unique Opportunity: In the program, actors pose as patients to give nursing students the chance to deal with situations they might face in their careers, Munro says. “A lot of health care institutions use simulat ..read more

Prince Resorts Hawaii says it’s changing its decades long focus on owning and operating three luxury hotels and three golf courses on O‘ahu and Hawai‘i Island and is set now on expanding its hotel management business in the Islands. The change comes as Prince Resorts Hawaii’s Japan-based parent company, Seibu Group, pursues an asset-light strategy to help it overcome challenges encountered during the pandemic and make its business model more durable. Seibu runs one of Japan’s largest hotel chains and also has interests in real estate, railway and bus operations, and sports. Pursuing an asset ..read more

A multidisciplinary team led by a Honolulu architect and neurologist is creating research-backed solutions to help individuals of all ages improve their brain health. The Brain Health Applied Research Institute, also known as B+HARI, hopes to translate research and insights from neuroscience, longevity studies, oceanography, culinary pursuits, farming, Hawaiian cultural practices and other fields into accessible lifestyle adjustments. The organization was founded by Dr. Kazuma Nakagawa, chief of The Queen’s Medical Center’s Neuroscience Institute, and Ma Ry Kim, a partner at Honolulu architec ..read more

Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii is a nonprofit that provides access to maternal health care and education for mothers and children. Tanya Smith-Johnson, the organization’s policy director, says HMHB’s mission has been the same since its founding in 1992: to help underprivileged mothers and at-risk newborns. “We believe in a child’s right to be born healthy and raised in a safe and nurturing environment,” says Smith-Johnson, who’s also director of the nonprofit’s community-based doula program. She says the group strives to provide equal access to quality health care and to e ..read more

Maui Mental Health Relief How Kaiser Permanente and local nonprofits are working to help Maui families with keiki take care of their mental health. Mental health support is a top concern on the island of Maui. Though the Lahaina fire occurred eight months ago, the grief and emotional effects from the disaster have taken their toll on survivors, who are still healing. Hawai‘i nonprofits are working together to support Maui residents and their keiki, who are experiencing psychological distress, such as stress, anxiety, and depression as a result of the wildfires. “Our goal is to support every ..read more

Employee’s views about their workplace have changed dramatically over the last three years – engagement, morale, life balance and community commitment now often play a bigger role in workplace satisfaction than compensation. Employees have spoken in the 2024 Best Places to Work Survey. Read to find out where they work and why they love their jobs. Platinum level winners have made the list 10+ years, Gold winners 5-9 years, Silver winners 2-4 years and Bronze winners one year. AlohaCare Aqua Engineers, Inc. Atlas Insurance Agency Central Pacific Bank Ceramic Tile Plus and Exclusively Yours Chil ..read more

When Jennifer Karaca and her team from Common Ground Collective (CGC) started serving up plate lunches to displaced Maui residents in the wake of the August 2023 fires, she thought they would be on emergency duty for maybe a few weeks. “We started doing hot meals out of the kitchen at the University of Hawai‘i Maui College (UHMC) the morning after the fire,” Karaca, CGC’s executive director, says. “At that point, my train of thought was, yeah, we’re a small organization, but we can fill this gap until these larger agencies come in and handle it.” Instead, Karaca says, the ad hoc coalition of ..read more

Join NAIOP Hawaii at the Royal Hawaiian on Friday, May 10th, for a night at the “Enchanted Masquerade” and the 27th Annual Kukulu Hale Awards – a lively celebration of this year’s award-winning CRE projects and special awardees, including D.R. Horton Hawaii, 2024 Developer of the Year.  Other honorees include Randy Hiraki, president of Commercial Plumbing, Inc., who will be recognized for Lifetime Achievement. The Outstanding Service Award will be presented to Kūhiō Lewis, CEO of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement. Nordic PCL Construction has been named Contractor of the Year ..read more

In the March print issue and online starting Feb. 21, Hawaii Business Magazine published a story by staff writer Chavonnie Ramos highlighting the struggles, achievements and goals of 10 local Filipinos. Although Filipinos now make up the second largest ethnic group in the Islands, they continue to be underrepresented in higher education and many professional fields. In her thoughtful and inspirational article, Ramos, who is a proud Filipina, tells the stories of people who have broken down barriers to achieve more visibility, more opportunities and more success for themselves and their communi ..read more

What is a System?  A system is a group of related things that work together as a whole.     What is a practical example of a System?  A chair consists of legs, arms, and a seat. Together the parts function to keep a person off the floor, but separately they are useless. For a chair to work, all components must be present and configured in a particular way.     What are the 7 Major Systems in a House?  Roof: This is a critical system to maintain the structural integrity of a house.  It is also a very major expense to consider when buying a house.&n ..read more