Chairman's Message - Spring 2023
Chairman's Message - Spring 2023 - Pivot and Reset As we experience the winds and rain of Spring in Hawaii, we express our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to all of our members, For the awesome support and enthusiasm that you provide thru the year. The first six-months of the fiscal year has flown by quickly and it remains my honor and great privilege to serve the Board of Directors and our entire membership. It has been a most exciting and challenging time to be part of HJCC. We look forward to seeing more of you as we get back on track with gathering in person again, with HJCCs 19th ANNUAL Chopsticks and Wine event on April 13th Thursday, 6-8:30pm at the Hawaii Convention Center (get your tickets now, via HJCC website or contact HJCC office). Marc Nakamoto, Committee Chair and Dean Yoneshige Vice Chair, have planned an exciting, rich and opulent wine and food experience for all attendees. One you must not MISS! State of the Organization (HJCC) As we conclude the first half of our fiscal year, I’m pleased to announce that your Executive Officers and Board of Directors and HJCC staff have worked diligently and collaboratively towards strengthening HJCC’s standing. Operationally, our President/CEO Steve Teruya and our staff Mina, Mai and Merilyn, have done a fabulous job in maintaining high levels of professional support for our business meetings, educational seminars, membership gatherings, signature events, community service, Japan relations and fiscal reporting. Most important is they “take good care” of our members. Fiscally, our Budget and Finance Chair Blake Isobe and Vice Chair Joanna Oshiro along with our President and Executive Officers have overseen and managed our budget to deliver operational effectiveness and cost controls. Generally speaking, we are on path to a positive year end versus budget. It’s a real tribute to the rigor applied in dealing with an uncertain post Covid period and still delivering value to our members. Organizationally, the Board has been focused on Strategy and Leadership and we will continue to reinforce its importance. See the previous Chairs Message - Fall 2022., for details. Membership has been a KEY strategic focus – our members are critical to HJCC’s success and sustainability. Our Membership Committee lead by Chair Jennifer Polido and Vice Chairs Wesley Yamamoto, J.P. Bautista and Brandon Miyagi, have done an excellent job. We are experiencing exceptional results, with total membership surpassing 640 members and with corporate membership nearly doubling to 31 corporate members, both on a record-breaking pace in the last six months. With this momentum and growth in membership, HJCC is on pace to reach 700 members in the near future! Looking ForwardChairman’s Message - Spring 2023 …. HJCC PIVOT and RESETLocally and nationally, organizations are using terms like RESET/ REFRESH/ REFORM/ REEVALUATE as a means to deal with Change and Challenges - post pandemic. Calling upon leaders to innovate, deepen collaboration, promote diversity of ideas, seek creative partnerships, take risks and experience failure, and communicate, communicate, communicate I am pleased to report that the Board has taken a proactive approach in solidifying the foundation of HJCC in the near-term and have taken the view that now is the time to look forward…"Be proactive, not reactive to achieve greater long-term success.” HJCC Board recently reviewed several forward-looking initiatives that will have a profound impact in how we operate, what we are known for and to provide preeminent value to our members. Forward looking initiatives: 1) We will remain focused on Strategy and Leadership 2) HJCC’s 125th Anniversary in 2025 – pre planning phase 3) HJCC website and membership management systems (CRM) – comprehensive review and significant upgrade 4) Hiroshima and HJCC, Emerging Young Business Leaders exchange program – elevate the quality of the program and its future vision 5) Expand strategic partnerships - to reach a wider audience and to optimize membership growth. As you can see HJCC is on a very exciting path and we welcome your involvement and we look forward to your support.
Myles S. ShibataChair of the Board
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