Kalowena Komeiji joins UH West Oahu in newly created public relations position

New hires at UH West Oahu to facilitate future development of new campus

Pearl City, Hawaii --- With development of a new UH West Oahu campus at Kapolei expected to begin in 2007, UH West Oahu Chancellor Gene Awakuni announced the appointment of Kalowena Komeiji to the newly created position of director, public relations.

"The new campus at Kapolei is an opportunity that our state and University may never again see, and we want to be sure we do it right from the start," said Awakuni. "Not only do we need to put up classrooms and offices, but we are also starting to build a team of faculty and staff to provide future support of new programs and a larger student population at UH West Oahu."

Komeiji will be responsible for spearheading marketing and public relations for UH West Oahu, including a soon-to-be-announced recruitment campaign for the new 4-year degree program approved by the University of Hawaii‘s Board of Regents last month. Previously Komeiji was publisher of the Downtown Planet newspaper and vice president of community relations for PBS Hawaii. Komeiji volunteers with several community organizations including Hawaii 3Rs, Pro Bowl Ohana Committee, and Queen Liliuokalani Advisory Council.

"The potential benefits that UH West Oahu can contribute to this growing Ewa region are tremendous and long overdue," Komeiji said. "While we have a lot of work ahead of us, at the end of the day it really is about our University of Hawaii and UH West Oahu bringing value to the residents here and having a meaningful impact on lives and the future of our state."

Also new to the UH West Oahu staff are Gregg Yoshimura and Jodie Kuba, both formerly of the University of Hawaii‘s Manoa campus, as student services specialists-financial aid.

"For us to be competitive and still keep the close relationship with students that UH West Oahu is known for, one of the key services we have identified is customer service for our students," Awakuni said. "Much of the population in the Kapolei region is underserved and therefore, financial aid and providing assistance with the financial aid forms are key factors for UH West Oahu to be of value to its constituents. Gregg and Jodie bring tremendous experience and skill to this campus and we‘re fortunate to have such a caliber."

UH West Oahu expects to break ground on the new campus in late 2007 or early 2008 with phase one completion scheduled for 2009. Plans are also underway to commence a new 4-year baccalaureate degree program next Fall in Kapolei. More information on this program is forthcoming.

For more information, visit: http://westoahu.hawaii.edu/