What’s your “elevator pitch” and very briefly share what your company or organization does?
At G70, we are problem solvers, designers, innovators, and professionals. We are members of our community. While we may provide architecture and interior design, planning, and engineering services, our mission is to work with our clients and communities to bring hope to future generations through improving our built or natural environment.
What inspired you to pursue the path you’re on today?
I credit my journey to where I am today to both my father and my grandfather. My father worked as a civilian employee in the Department of Defense as public works administrator, and my grandfather was a program manager for Kodak Film Hawaii. Education, dedication, attention to detail, and accountability were values critical in my upbringing and shaped my character, success, and resiliency. I was taught at an early age to always leave a place better than I found it, which I think is the foundation of my desire to become an engineer and business leader.
Who is a local mentor, friend, or role model who inspires you?
If I could give any advice to someone starting out in architecture or engineering, my advice would be to strive to be a good teammate. Everyone wants to be ”the guy,” the leader, the top designer. My journey here was built on the support of others and from my team. Treating your team with the utmost respect, with transparency, with open communication, is what will make you successful. Nowadays there is so much information and things to learn; you will only be as good as your team is.
How do you want to make a difference in your community?
Giving back to others, to my community, and being a servant leader are core beliefs of mine. Whether in service through my profession, through volunteer work, or with my family, I do my best work and feel the most energized when I can serve others. My goal is not necessarily to make the biggest or greatest impact on a wide scale. I am a true believer that even small, simple efforts can make a big difference to those that need it most. My legacy to my community is not what’s important, but through my work and volunteer efforts in Rotary in Hawaii, mentoring students at Roosevelt High School, or through G70’s community service efforts, I have an opportunity to improve the lives of others in meaningful ways and that is what motivates me to do my best.
How do you define success for yourself right now?
In my role as a leader and manager at G70, my success at work is defined by the success of my staff and my colleagues. If my staff are successful in their efforts, whether technically, in projects, in professional development and personal growth, then I am successful. If my colleagues can do their best architectural and planning work because we can leverage the power and expertise of G70, then I am successful. My goal is to ensure that those I serve are in the best position to be successful themselves. In my role as a husband and father, it is to be compassionate, caring, and supportive to my family, and success to me is that they know how much they mean to me.
