Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 20, Number 6, 1 June 2003 — Kamehameha Schools CEO McCubbin resigns [ARTICLE]

Kamehameha Schools CEO McCubbin resigns

By Sterling Kini Wong Kamehameha Schools'Chief Executive Officer HamiUon McCubbin, who helped refashion the $6 million trusts'tarnished image, unexpectedly announced his resignation on May 5. McCubbin, who on Feb. 1 signed a three-year contract extension with Kamehameha for an estimated $350,000 a year, said that the CEO position he held was never intended to be permanent, and that he resigned to spend more time with his family and grandchildren. McCubbin's tenure, marked by the expansion of the Trust's reach to native Hawaiians through education, abruptly ended in the midst of an investigation, conducted by the school, into allegations that he had an inappropriate relationship with a female employee. Constance H. Lau, chairwoman of the board of trustees, said in a statement that the trustees accepted McCubbin's resignation but did not comment on why he was leaving. "As a personnel matter, it is not in the best interest of this institution to discuss the details of Dr. McCubbin's departure," Lau said.

Kamehameha trustees appointed Colleen Wong, vice president for legal affairs, as acting CEO while the search for a new CEO is being conducted. Constance H. Lau, chairwoman of the board of trustees, said a new CEO will be in plaee within six months. Upon McCubbin's arrival to Kamehameha Schools in January 2000, the reputation of the trust was suffering from a turbulent decade of scandal and corruption. The school's reputation improved markedly during McCubbin's threeyear stint as it embraced a new strategic plan, embarking on an ambitious initiative to reach more native Hawaiian children through education. This initiative culminated last year in a school-record expenditure of $223 million on educational programs, reaching 16,000 native Hawaiians. Under McCubbin's tenure, two campuses were opened; in Pukalani on Maui and in Kea'au on Hawai'i Island. Under his leadership, a new campaign called Ho'olako Like awarded monies to start-up charter schools in Hawai'i that serve mainly Native Hawaiians. In April Kanu o ka 'Āina New Century Puhlie Charter School was the first benefi-

ciary of this award, receiving $153,603. (See related photo on page 15.) The school's strategic plan lays out plans to plaee 1 1,000 children in preschools within five years and 30,000 children in 15 years. McCubbin's tenure was not immune to controversy. McCubbin and the Kamehameha trustees eame under fire from the Native Hawaiian

community for the school's admission of a non-Hawaiian student in the summer of 2002. McCubbin, a 1959 Kamehameha Schools alumnus, served as the dean of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's School of Human Ecology for 14 years. He also earned his bachelor's, master's degrees and doctorate from Wisconsin-Madison. ■