By Maria Khan
The impact that you leave on the world defines what that individual is and who the person becomes. For Western New England University’s Chief of Staff and Secretary to the Board of Trustees, Curt Hamakawa’s impact and passions are what make him the person he is today. Despite the many stories he has to share, he was unaware of the impactful trail that still follows him. It all peaked with his career with the United States Olympic Committee. During his time with the United States Olympics, he shares how he served in numerous roles, including the Associate General Counsel, Director of Athletic Services, and his final position as the Director of International Relations. Although, this is not where Hamakawa’s tremendous journey began.
Hamakawa spent his time as a local undergrad in the beautiful Aloha state at the University of Hawaii, majoring in Political Science. From there, he wanted to continue his education. He shared, “I wanted to get as far away as I can but still be in the United States, and found Massachusetts, and then found Western New England University, but the story goes deeper than that,” began life was not dedicated to palm trees and sunsets. Instead, he shares that he had spent his childhood living in Springfield as his father was completing his undergraduate and graduate degrees at Springfield College, but then ended up moving almost 4000 miles back to Hawaii.
Jumping forward after finishing his undergrad, he had heard from a friend about the graduate opportunities at Western New England University, expressing the wonders of New England and its fall foliage and crystal white winter that came with it. Making the decision, he graduated with his law degree. After graduating, he moved back to Hawaii and worked under a judge in Maui, but soon realized his passion and what he actually wanted to do: work in the sports industry. With this, he again came back to Springfield and attended Springfield College for his master’s degree in Athletics Administration, leading him to work for the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association). After three years of working there, “an opportunity came out of the blue to work for me to work at the United States Olympics Committee, recalled I was a lawyer and passed the bar, and they had hired me as the Associate General Counsel, which is the number two lawyer for the United States Olympic Committee,” Hamakawa shared.
With three years of experience with the NCAA and 16 years of working with the United States Olympic Committee, he wanted to figure out how he could put his unrivaled experiences to good work. Seeing an opportunity to become a teacher in the classroom in 2006, Hamakawa began his new position at Western New England University in the College of Business as a Professor of Sports Management until 2020. The impact he had did not go unseen once again, as former President Anthony Caprio asked if he would uphold the position of Interim Provost, but it was understood that after filling this role temporarily, he would have to go back to the classroom. It was not until current President Robert Johnson had taken (his) position that he saw the potential and impact Hamakawa had in the first year President Johnson began.
He had been asked to serve as the Chief of Staff and the Secretary to the Board of Trustees. Hamkawa stated, “It was intriguing to me because a) it was new and b) I enjoyed working with and for Dr. Johnson, and I had known him for a year at this point, and it was an opportunity.” When he saw this as an opportunity, he was pleased and flattered and decided to try it out and see what this could be for him.
As he has held this position for the past three years, Hamakawa will be retiring in January of 2024, when he will be moving to Arizona.
When Western New England University reminisces on the impact of Hamakawa, they will think of what opportunities he was able to bring to students. With his tenure and connections at the Olympics, he was able to bring students to the Olympics and Fifa World Cups, from the 2008 Beijing Olympics to the 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa, the 2012 Olympic Games in London, Fifa World Cup 2014 in Brazil, the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and the 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia. To Hamakawa, “It only made sense that I would seek to leverage those contacts and relationships,” he shared. Hamakawa did not only bring this once in a lifetime opportunity, but he also brought many of Western New England’s study abroad programs to life. He brought the Australia study abroad program, a sophomore-specific full-semester London program at Richmond University, and created connections with the IESG School of Management in Paris and another institution in Belgium.
The impact one leaves on the world defines an individual. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow, Curt Hamakawa will be remembered for his impact at Western New England University and the world that surrounds us as he moves on to the next chapter of his life.
