COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MANOA
A University of Hawaii at Manoa Shidler College of Business alumnus, Christopher Helm, and his wife, Debra, have established a $100,000 endowment for the David Bess Leadership Award at the school. Dave, left, and Lindy Bess and Debra and Christopher Helm pose together.
Select an option below to continue reading this premium story.
Already a Honolulu Star-Advertiser subscriber? Log in now to continue reading.
At the University of Hawaii’s Shidler College of Business: An exemplary, full-circle case of paying things forward leading to paying things back.
Back when he was a student at the college, Christopher Helm was able to attend an MBA exchange program, thanks to a scholarship from the Lum Yip Kee family. He went on to success, now as executive vice president of Longhorn Vaccines and Diagnostics LLC — and with wife Debra, given over $50,000 to fund UH’s David Bess Leadership Award, named after his mentor and former dean. Now, the couple has created a $100,000 endowment to fund this award in perpetuity: “It is now my turn to give back,” Helm noted. It’s a gift, and sentiment, that surely will keep on giving.
Volcanoes National Park opens doors again
The innards of the volcano itself seem to be at rest, but its public- facing side — the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park — should be erupting with activity on Saturday. Closed since the volcanic activity generated hazardous conditions on May 11, the park will compound the celebration of its reopening with free admission.
It’s an appropriate occasion, too, because the fourth Saturday in September each year has been marked as National Public Lands Day. This year is the 25th anniversary of the observance, and this park has actually generated some additional public land.